New Australian centre focuses on geothermal power for Perth

William Atkins
Thursday, 03 December 2009 17:49

Science - Energy

The Western Australian Geothermal Centre of Excellence (WAGCOE) is a new research centre with a mission to develop new technologies aimed at sustainable, low-emission, geothermal cities. It begins its mission with the development of a 'geothermal city' in Perth.


Geothermal power is a type of power that is extracted by humans from heat stored within the Earth.

Heat is stored under the surface of the Earth from two primary sources: radioactive decay of minerals and from solar energy absorbed at the surface.

Geothermal power, sometimes also called “hot earth” power, is only a tiny percentage of the total amount of electricity generated each year around the world.

However, its ability to generate clean low-emission energy is increasingly attractive to replace dirty, environmentally unfriendly types of energy generation, such as fossil fuels.

The 12/3/2009 CSIRO article “New centre makes geothermal cities a hot prospect” states that the new Centre is a collaboration between CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and The University of Western Australia, along with participation with Curtin University of Technology and support from the government of Western Australia.

The WAGCOE facility was established in Perth in February 2008 with state government funding of approximately $2.3 million. It was officially launched in June 2009.

Now, on Thursday, December 3, 2009, it was dedicated by Norman Moore, the Western Australian Minister for Mines and Petroleum.

Learn more about geothermal power at “Geothermal Energy Facts.”

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