火山：绿色能源的火热未来

科学家们认为，火山岩浆富含铜、镍和锌等金属，可以用来替代破坏环境的采矿作业

活火山和休眠火山也可能是地热能的重要来源，它将能源密集型采矿活动转变为碳中和过程

这一概念需要在研究和技术上进行大量投资，以便了解地质情况，并开发从火山中提取这些资源的方法

据油价网2023年7月9日报道，世界各地的政府和私营企业都在寻找生产可再生能源和支持绿色转型的创新方法。由于一些国家出台了更强有力的气候政策，以及近几年来公共和私人资金的大幅增加，可再生能源领域取得了一些突破。这既包括我们可以获得的各种清洁能源和新的绿色技术，也包括对开发以前从未考虑过的能源潜力进行更多了解。其中一个选择是火山，科学家们认为火山可能是地热能和提供全球绿色转型所需关键金属的主要来源。

为了减少全球温室气体排放和减缓气候变化的影响，我们正在集体从化石燃料转向绿色替代品，一个很大的担忧是，为了支持这一举措，对金属的需求日益增长。对铜、镍和锌等金属的需求正在增加，因为新可再生能源运营需要更多的金属，到2050年前，钴的产量预计将增长六倍，银的产量将再增长一半。但为了满足这一需求，全球范围内的采矿活动将需要呈指数级增长，这可能会对环境构成新的威胁，就像我们逐渐远离化石燃料一样。为了应对这一威胁，能源专家和科学家们一直在忙于研究获取这些金属的其他方法。

研究人员现在却认为，不需要新的采矿作业，他们就可以从火山岩浆中获得这些金属。今年5月，奥利维亚·霍格和乔恩·布朗迪在《地球科学家》杂志上撰文，谈到了利用火山力量的潜力而不是寻找潜在的破坏性替代方案，如深海采矿。在火山中发现的岩浆含有极其丰富的金属。事实上，像意大利的埃特纳火山这样的活火山每天以火山气体的形式释放出大约20吨铜和10公斤黄金。虽然不能从火山气体中提取金属，但有可能从火山的热岩浆盐水中开采金属。

在这些盐水中发现的金属浓度很高。全世界大约有2000座火山，这可能是重要金属的巨大来源。活火山和休眠火山都可能适合提取金属。金属的开采已经与岩浆联系在一起，但通常是在地壳和地幔中发现的岩浆。直接从热岩浆岩(如休眠火山下的岩浆岩)中开采铅是可能的，这样就可以从浓缩溶液中提取金属，而不是从固体岩石中提取金属。此外，霍格和布朗迪认为，火山中发现的热流体可以用来产生地热能，使金属提取过程碳中和，这意味着可能不再需要与典型采矿作业相关的能源密集型过程。

虽然地球内部隐藏着丰富的地热能，但获取它并不总是那么容易。在过去，有效获取和提取这种能源所需的工具并不存在，这意味着在过去的几十年里，地热技术的投资严重不足，因为缺乏工具被认为是地热开发失败的一个原因。然而，由于各国政府推动绿色转型，并支持对各种绿色能源的研究和创新，我们正在逐渐更好地了解地热能，以及我们如何利用地热能力量。

地热能通常来自地下，是通过转换地壳下的热能而产生的。通过挖1英里（约合1609米）深的井来获取能源，从而获得地下储水层的蒸汽和热水，这些热水可以带动与发电机相连的涡轮机。近几年来，新技术使冰岛、萨尔瓦多、新西兰、肯尼亚和菲律宾等几个国家能够利用地热资源。事实上，地热能满足了冰岛90%以上的供暖需求。

现在，科学家们认为火山可能是地热能的丰富来源。来自加拿大地质调查局的研究人员一直在研究是否有可能从蒂尼山和凯莱山获取地热能。到目前为止，他们的研究表明，从加拿大的火山特别是蒂尼山，提取地热能的潜力很大。由于它持续释放火山气体，这表明火山仍然相当活跃。两座火山都位于极热的地下储水层顶部，可以用来发电。但要获得这种地热能，需要将热液体泵入附近的设施，并使用钻探从储水层释放蒸汽。这种蒸汽可以为涡轮机提供动力，就像传统地热能源生产。然而，就像从地下获取地热能一样，利用这种能量可能需要在研究和勘探方面进行大量投资。

由于越来越多的资金被投入到广泛的绿色能源组合和相关技术的研究和创新中，科学家们和能源专家越来越多地看到了以前被忽视能源的潜力。各国很可能既可以获得支持可再生能源项目所需的金属，也可以从休眠的火山中获得地热能。但要将其付诸实践，将需要更多研究和对地质的了解，以及对启动这些作业所需设备的投资。

李峻 译自 油价网

原文如下：

Volcanoes: The Fiery Future Of Green Energy

·     Scientists believe that magma from volcanoes, rich in metals like copper, nickel, and zinc, could be harnessed as an alternative to environmentally damaging mining operations.

·     Volcanoes, both active and dormant, could also be a significant source of geothermal energy, transforming energy-intensive mining operations into carbon-neutral processes.

·     The concept requires substantial investment in research and technology to understand geology and develop methods to extract these resources from volcanoes.

Governments and private companies worldwide are looking at innovative new ways to generate renewable energy and support a green transition. Thanks to stronger climate policies in several countries, and a significant boost in public and private funding in recent years, several breakthroughs have been seen in the world of renewables. This includes both the variety of clean energy sources we have access to, new green technologies, and greater knowledge about the potential to tap into previously unthought-of energy sources. One such option is volcanoes, which scientists are suggesting could be a major source of both geothermal energy and the provision of metals needed for a global green transition. 

As we make a collective shift away from fossil fuels to green alternatives in a bid to reduce the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and slow the effects of climate change, one big concern is the growing need for metals to support this move. The demand for metals, such as copper, nickel, and zinc, is increasing as greater amounts are required for new renewable energy operations, with cobalt production expected to grow sixfold and silver by half as much again by 2050. But to meet this demand, mining activities worldwide will need to increase exponentially, potentially posing a new threat to the environment, just as we move away from fossil fuels. In response to this threat, energy experts and scientists have been hurriedly researching other ways to access these metals. 

One way in which researchers now believe they may be able to get these metals without new mining operations is in the magma from volcanoes. In May, Olivia Hogg and Jon Blundy wrote in Geoscientist about the potential of harnessing the power of volcanoes, rather than looking at potentially damaging alternatives such as deep-sea mining. The magma found in volcanoes is extremely rich in metals. In fact, active volcanoes such as Mount Etna in Italy release around 20 tonnes of copper and 10 kg of gold a day in the form of volcanic gases. While metals cannot be extracted from volcanic gas, it may be possible to mine them from hot magmatic brines in the volcano. 

The metals found in these brines are highly concentrated. And with around 2,000 volcanoes worldwide, this could provide a huge source of important metals. Both active and dormant volcanoes may be suitable for metal extraction. The mining of metals is already linked to magma, but typically that which is found in the Earth’s crust and mantle. It may be possible to directly mine brings from hot magmatic rocks, such as those under dormant volcanoes, which would allow metals to be extracted from a concentrated solution rather than solid rock. In addition, Hogg and Blundy believe the hot fluids found in volcanoes could be used to produce geothermal power to make the metal extraction process carbon neutral, meaning there would potentially no longer be a need for the energy-intensive processes associated with typical mining operations.

While there is abundant geothermal energy hidden inside the earth, accessing it has not always been so easy. The tools needed to access and extract this energy effectively did not exist in the past, meaning that there has been significant underinvestment in geothermal technologies in previous decades as it was thought of as a lost cause. However, as governments push a green transition and support research and innovation into a diverse range of green energy sources, we are gradually gaining a better understanding of geothermal energy and how we might harness its power. 

Geothermal energy typically comes from underground, produced by converting heat energy from underneath the Earth’s crust. Energy is accessed by digging one-mile-deep wells to reach underground reservoirs to access steam and hot water, which can turn turbines connected to electricity generators. New technologies have enabled several countries to tap into their geothermal resources in recent years, including Iceland, El Salvador, New Zealand, Kenya, and the Philippines. In fact, geothermal energy meets more than 90 percent of Iceland’s heating demand. 

But now, scientists are suggesting that volcanoes may be an abundant source of geothermal energy. Researchers from the Geological Survey of Canada have been investigating whether it is possible to access geothermal energy from Mount Meager and Mount Cayley. So far, their research suggests that there is a “high potential” for extracting geothermal energy from volcanoes in Canada, especially Mount Meager. As it continues to release volcanic gasses, it shows that the volcano remains fairly active. Both volcanoes at on top of extremely hot underground reservoirs that could be used to generate electricity. But to access this geothermal energy, hot liquid would need to be pumped into facilities nearby, requiring drilling to release steam from the reservoir. This steam could power a turbine, in the same way as conventional geothermal energy production. However, just as with accessing geothermal energy from underground, significant investment in research and exploration may be required to harness this power. 

As more funding is pumped into research and innovation in a broad green energy mix and related technologies, scientists and energy experts are increasingly seeing the potential of previously overlooked energy sources. It is probable that countries could access both the metals needed to support renewable energy projects and geothermal energy from their dormant volcanoes. But putting this into practice will require much more research and understanding of the geology, as well as investment in the equipment needed to launch these operations.