POWER FROM EARTH’S HEAT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 4 October 1924, Page 9

POWER FROM EARTH’S HEAT

! There is 'nothing* new in (lie recent, suggestion of tin; possibility of using the 'earth's lie'll to prod nee power, writes T. I C. bridges in the Daily Mail. More than } 20 rears ago the oflieial geologist- for the -Stale of Pennsylvania (U.S.A.) propoundj eil ti serious engineering scheme for utilising the internal heat of the earth. He I pinposed to make boreholes deep enough j tu jvttoh the layer of high temperature, about, live miles down, to admit cold wall,t ;n these, and to utilise for motive rpower the hot water and high pressure I steam which would he produced. Snell a bore would have to be a- double one, and at present the mechanical difficulties of boring to such a depth stand in the way of this suggestion. In any ease the expense would be enormous. There are, however, many places where the underground fires can be tapped without the l use of any drilling machinery, and there i is ene where this has actually been done, land where power is to-day being obtainj od in this manner at. a very cheap rate. The site of this experiment is Larderello. in Italy, about 40 miles southwest of Florence. At Lardarelle is tin area of more than two square miles where jets of steam and boiling springs burst up in scores. About 12 years ago, it occtirod to a certain Italian nobleman that here was power going to waste, .lie was Prince. Conti, and he set to work to ieieet an electric generator to be driven hv steam from one of the natural jet?. Tile experiment proved a success, new machinery has been added, and to-day a. heavy head of electric power runs several factories near the spot, while Lite surplus current is used for lighting Florence as well its .Siena and other towns.