For context, [Darvaza gas crater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darvaza_gas_crater) is a burning natural gas field collapsed into a cavern near Darvaza, Turkmenistan. The crater has been burning since the 1980s.
If it has to burn anyways why can’t they use the thermal energy to generate electricity for example? Ir just heat water for other usecases.
In: Engineering
It’s in the desert 260km away from the nearest city.
There’s also a risk of cave-ins and spontaneous explosions around such an object. Geothermal plants are built on solid ground around geysers, not a giant fire pit in crumbly rock.
Because its in the middle of a desert and there is basicly no one living there that would zse that electricity. Also it is just a tiny amount of heat that is produced currently so it wouldnt make economcial sense.
That might be something that would need a considerable amount of expertise and a considerable amount of capital. Things at this scale aren’t going to be solved by anything small and simple. It is likely that Turkmenistan has neither the money nor expertise and any benefits obtained are possibly not likely to be worth the expense.
Have you looked at where this actually is? In the middle of nowhere in a desert.
Who is going to utilize that small amount of heat energy?
Because the surrounding area is a desert only sparsely inhabited by a very small number of nomads.
It isn’t worth the effort and cost to build the considerable infrastructure required to harness, transport and store what ends up not being all that much energy compared to other sources
What do you mean? Just generate a thermal plant, connect it to your base, and go exploring.
For the same reasons no one has tried to do so with the underground coal fires in Pennsylvania. There is little benefit to doing so, and there is a LOT of risk in trying.
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