Electricity through geothermal energy
Islandwide survey launched :
Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional District
group correspondent
The Geological Surveys and Mines Bureau (GSMB) launched an islandwide
survey to evaluate the temperature variations of the landscape with the
hope of generating thermal power electricity and other temperature based
mechanisms.
This is an expansion to the recently held magnetotelluric survey in
the country with the objective of locating possible deep sources of
geothermal energy covering mainly the hot spring sites. The survey
covered the landscape which included Rankiri Ulpotha, Kenniya,
Nelumwewa, Kapurella, Mahaoya, Padiyathalawa and Mahapalessa.
This was a joint project between privately funded personnel in the UK
and Canada, the University of Edinburgh, UK, the Geological Surveys and
Mines Bureau, the Institute of Fundamental Studies and the Water Supply
and Drainage Board.
The GSMB sources revealed that the preliminary results were
encouraging and high conductivity regions have been found below the hot
springs with evidence of a connection to a deeper high conducting
region. The depth of the high conducting region will be determined in
the extended analysis to be conducted under phase two of the programme.
The report after processing the available data will determine the
viability of a geothermal resource.
Chairman of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau Dr N A Wijayananda
said that the preparation of a heat map concerning the country's
landscape was under proposal stage.
“The temperature variations in the deep interior of our earth causing
the emergence of hot water springs is under survey. There could be other
signs of the geothermal energy sources deep in the earth not in the form
of hot springs. Hence, there is a proposal for making a heat map,” Dr
Wijayananda said.
The Chairman of the GSMB said that initial arrangements were being
made for conducting an air borne geological survey for identifying
subsurface mineral deposits.
The survey is to be launched by the GSMB jointly with FUGRO, an
international geophysical survey company using a low flying aircraft
fitted with sophisticated equipment.
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