Abundant geothermal resources have been verified in the Yellow
River delta, with underground hot water resources capable of being
tapped for at least 100 years, according to
China Water
Resources News.
Specialists have recently approved the report on investigation of
geothermal resources in the Yellow River delta. The Shandong
Prospecting Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, entrusted
by the Shandong Provincial Land and Resources Department, spent
more than a year ascertaining the extent of the geothermal
resources in the Yellow River delta. Its experts came up with a
figure equal to the energy produced by 12.479 billion tons of
standard coal. The underground hot water deposits alone amount to
459.689 billion cubic meters, of which over 75 billion cubic meters
are available to use over a period of at least 100 years.
Geothermal energy is regarded as clean energy for its high heat
efficiency and non-polluting factors. Already used in medical
treatment and bathing, geothermal energy can also replace
thermal-power plants to provide heat and water.
During decades of petroleum prospecting in the delta, a lot of
geothermal wells with hot springs of middle or low temperature
(50-70 degrees centigrade), have been discovered 1,000-1,500 meters
underground. However, due to the huge input required and scarcity
of knowledge, these resources have not been fully exploited.
(china.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, August 31, 2002)