A source of geothermal energy that has the potential to supply millions of people with heating and electricity for decades has been detected in Shandong province.
The province's No 1 Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources has detected rock temperatures as high as 110°C at a depth of 1,240 meters beneath the earth's surface. Jing Xiaodong, from the institute, said temperatures could reach 150°C to 200°C at the drill hole maximum depth of 4,000 meters.
"This hot dry rock resource can be used to produce power in a very environmentally friendly way, and the cost of generating power from hot dry rock is much lower than with coal," Jing said.
The institute has located two regions of hot rock under the cities of Weihai and Yantai. If just 2 percent of the geothermal energy contained in those two regions was utilized, it could supply Shandong with heat and electricity for 38 years, Jing said.
