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Abu Dhabi will undertake the first geothermal project in the Gulf region, drilling 4km beneath the city this year. The government hopes to tap enough cheap, clean energy to meet up to half the needs of its zero-carbon development Masdar City, reports The National newspaper.
Masdar's Headquarters“We
have found that Abu Dhabi has a very good chance to generate energy
from geothermal sources,” Sanad Ahmed, a senior project manager at the
government-owned Masdar, told the daily. “It’s one of the cheapest
sources for renewable energy available.”
Water will be circulated through two deep wells, becoming steam and turning electrical generators which will power air conditioning systems.
The geothermal project represents a change of direction for Abu Dhabi which, to date, has looked to solar energy to meet its 2020 target of generating 7% of electricity from renewables.
Masdar has tapped Iceland’s Reykjavik Geothermal to help drill the wells, awarding it a $1.6 million contract. Drilling could begin as early as November 1.
