Lake Malaren meteorite crater.
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Pumping money down a hole?

The Swedish Government is spending over $700K to investigate the possibility that an old meteorite crater contains enough energy to heat the city of Stockholm.  

One billion years ago, a meteorite hit the earth on the southern part of the island of Bjorko in Lake Malaren. The crater is 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) in diameter. Swedish scientists have developed the theory that the impact of the meteorite has caused fragments in the bedrock, resulting in porosity that is up to 10 times greater than normal. In such volume, the rock contains water where the temperature rises 15ºC for every kilometre of depth, which corresponds to an energy potential of 4,000 terrawatts.   The scientists estimate that the Bjorko structure contains a heat volume which could provide 70 percent of the energy needs to heat the city of Stockholm on a sustainable basis. The Swedish National Energy Administration (STEM), following a decision by the Energy Development Board, has granted funding of up to 7,515,000 kroner (US$777,214) to the Bjorko Energiprojekt. The funding will allow a closer study of the structure of the crater and the potential for geothermal energy recovery, as well as the structure's suitability as a heat exchanger. The study involves drilling three exploratory holes in the crater. By August 2001 the first hole had been drilled and water at 40oC was flowing out of it.   Apparently this is warm enough for district heating.    

 

iGreen comment  

Why are commercial companies not taking on this project.  Seventy percent of the heating of Stockholm would yield substantial revenue, and the local factors could hardly be more promising.   Three of Stockholm’s existing district heating power plants: Hässelby, Fittja and Igelsta lie within 13 kilometres of the crater, and the environmentally minded Swedes would surely be willing to pay a premium for green geothermal power, and reduce fossil fuel use.     

 

The apologists say the risks are too great for commercial companies.  "The Bjorko energy project entails a not inconsiderable economic risk which the business community is scarcely in a position to take on at this point in time, says Thomas Korsfeldt, director generation of STEM. However, the potential of the project is great enough that it justifies taking the risk, especially in light of the Energy Administration's commission to support the transition to a sustainable energy system? "By providing funding, the National Energy Administration can pave the way to an interesting use of energy that is sustainable in the very long term if the results are positive," adds Korsfeldt. "If this phase is successful, I assume that the business community will be willing to take on primary responsibility for continuing the project."  

 

This makes no sense.   If it is commercially viable, the investment could come from anywhere right now.  The world business community, which developed the Jumbo Jet, built the Channel Tunnel, and drilled for oil in the North Sea, can surely stump up $700K.    Obviously the full investment would be greater, but if the hot water is really going to flow up for free there must be another catch.  

 

Governments taking on commercial risks that the private sector is avoiding have an unhappy environmental history.  Remember Concorde, and putting men on the moon?   It would be lovely to get free power for a large city this way, but here’s a testable prediction (26 October 2001).  

 

In 10 years time many more taxpayer's Kroner will have been pumped down this particular hole, and a great deal of fossil fuel will have been burned in the process.   A few hardy Stockholm residents may be living in tepid council flats heated with subsidised geothermal heating, but the project overall will remain commercially non-viable.   

 

I hope I’m wrong.  

Jim Thornton Leeds 26 October 2001

 

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Last modified: September 20, 2006