A first-of-its-kind in Canada ultradeep geothermal (UDG) research facility at Royal Roads University (RRU) was given three donations totalling over $3 million on April 23.

The Cascade Institute program at RRU program focuses on geothermal systems hidden in dry, hot rocks five to 10 kilometres beneath the earthB次元官网网址檚 surface.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 enough energy beneath us to power the entire world thousands of times over indefinitely into the future, enabling any kind of society humanity may want to build. This energy is close by but hard to get to. The Cascade Institute is working to tap that power,B次元官网网址� said Thomas Homer-Dixon, Cascade Institute executive director.

The donors were Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, Founders PledgeB次元官网网址檚 Climate Change Fund and Rethink Charity FoundationB次元官网网址檚 R.C. Forward Climate Change Fund donors.

B次元官网网址淭he funding massively upscales CanadaB次元官网网址檚 research and development efforts in geothermal power and supports its national commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 to address the climate crisis,B次元官网网址� the RRU release said. B次元官网网址淭he program focuses on deep geothermal systems in hot, dry rock five to 10 kilometers below EarthB次元官网网址檚 surface.B次元官网网址�

Geothermal energy is more efficient and safer than nuclear power and less weather-dependent than wind or solar, according to Rebecca Pearce, a geophysicist and research fellow at the Cascade InstituteB次元官网网址檚 ultradeep geothermal project.

Pearce said that UDG does not require volcanic activity, could be built right next to someoneB次元官网网址檚 house, and would pose minimal risk if a problem were to occur.

B次元官网网址淭he geothermal station would just shut down,B次元官网网址� Pearce said.

Homer-Dixon said the potential benefits of geothermal energy outweigh the risks, and it is tough to imagine anything terrible happening because of the technology.

B次元官网网址淲hereas something like nuclear has many problems and is much less forgiving.B次元官网网址�

The technology is designed to drill into rocks that are 150 degrees Celsius and will cost an additional $45 million for every extra 10 degrees, said Homer-Dixon.

The drilling that UDG carries out does not need tectonic activity and has the potential to be set up anywhere.

One of the challenges that Cascade is trying to solve is how to drill on the Canadian Shield that extends through most of Canada, Homer-Dixon said.

B次元官网网址淔iguring out how to drill and get power in the shield means we can get power anywhere on the planet,B次元官网网址� he said.

Ideally, Homer-Dixon would like Cascade to be able to drill to 10 kilometres beneath the earthB次元官网网址檚 surface and hopes to produce 50 to 100 gigawatts of power.

UDG is also a way to future-proof the economy and shift away from oil and gas, and Homer-Dixon said that this could bring the nation together.

B次元官网网址淲e could bring the parts of the country together around a kind of moonshot moment.B次元官网网址�

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