What is the first thing that comes to you mind when I say “Volcano”. Undoubtedly, pictures of ash spills, clouds of harmful emissions and the suffering people start immediately emerging in mind. But, Guatemala in Central America has a different story to tell. The country is looking towards active volcanoes to tap renewable energy. The aim behind this initiative is to reduce the dependence on oil imports, cutting green house gas emissions.
Central America largely relies on hydroelectricity to meet terms with its energy needs, but hydroelectricity requires huge dams. The construction of such huge dams releases large amount of carbon emissions. In addition, dams are vulnerable to hurricanes and rainfall that can wash mud and debris into rivers and clog dams. In such a situation, harnessing energy from volcanoes looks as an interesting alternative.
