Skip to main content

Just In

Estonia Drills Three Towns for Open-Loop Geothermal Heating Development

Estonia Drills Into Its Own Backyard: Why Three Small Towns Could Shape the Future of Baltic Heating Estonia has started looking for heat under its own soil. In October 2026, the Geological Survey of Estonia began exploratory drilling at three locations in the south of the country to find out whether open-loop geothermal energy pilot plants can work there, according to CEENERGYNEWS, citing the Estonian Ministry of Climate. Work starts in Rõuge, then moves to Põlva municipality and Tõrva. The campaign is part of a research programme called AVATAR. On paper, this is a small story: a few boreholes, some pumping tests and a careful statement from a state agency. It is also one more step in a deliberate effort by a small Baltic country to treat geothermal energy as a real option for heating whole communities, and not only single houses. Estonia has long winters, energy security is a political issue there, and moving away from fossil fuels is now fixed policy. So the drilling matters more th...

PPC Renewables and ELEACTOR energy to venture into Geothermal Energy in Lesvos Island, Greece

  "Green Power Rising: PPC Renewables and ELEACTOR Join Forces for Geothermal Innovation in Lesvos Island, Greece"



In a significant stride towards sustainable energy solutions, PPC Renewables has forged a strategic partnership with ELEACTOR to establish a 250 KW geothermal pilot plant on Lesvos Island, Greece. This ambitious project sets the stage for a groundbreaking 8 MW power station, promising a future where clean and renewable energy takes center stage in the region.


### Geothermal Innovation Unveiled on Lesvos Island


Lesvos Island, known for its natural beauty, is now becoming a hub for green innovation. The collaboration between PPC Renewables and ELEACTOR aims to harness the island's geothermal potential to create a reliable and eco-friendly energy source. The 250 KW geothermal pilot plant will serve as a testing ground, paving the way for larger-scale developments in the near future.


### Pumping Tests in Stipsi Area: A Crucial Milestone


Before laying the groundwork for the pilot plant, extensive pumping tests were conducted in the Stipsi area of Lesvos. These tests are crucial for understanding the geothermal reservoir's characteristics and ensuring optimal efficiency in harnessing the Earth's natural heat. The results will guide the design and implementation of the larger 8 MW power station, showcasing a meticulous approach to sustainable energy development.


### Geothermal Fluids in Argenos: Nature's Heat Unleashed


Argenos, another key location on Lesvos Island, has unveiled the potential of geothermal fluids. These fluids, rich in thermal energy, form a vital component of the geothermal power generation process. By tapping into this natural resource, PPC Renewables and ELEACTOR are poised to create a renewable energy ecosystem that not only powers homes and businesses but also contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions.


### The Roadmap: From Pilot Plant to 8 MW Power Station


The 250 KW geothermal pilot plant serves as a precursor to a much larger endeavor – an 8 MW power station that will revolutionize the energy landscape on Lesvos Island. The knowledge gained from the pilot project, coupled with insights from pumping tests and geothermal fluid exploration, will inform the construction and operation of the larger facility. This progression underscores a commitment to sustainable energy solutions that are both impactful and scalable.


### Local Benefits and Global Inspiration


Beyond the technical aspects, the PPC Renewables and ELEACTOR partnership holds promise for local communities. The development of geothermal energy infrastructure not only brings clean power but also stimulates economic growth and job opportunities. Moreover, this initiative positions Lesvos Island as a beacon of inspiration for other regions seeking to harness the untapped potential of geothermal energy.


In conclusion, the collaborative efforts of PPC Renewables and ELEACTOR in Lesvos Island represent a bold step towards a greener and more sustainable future. From the initial stages of pumping tests to the eventual establishment of an 8 MW power station, this venture exemplifies how innovation and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand, shaping a resilient and eco-conscious energy landscape for generations to come.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Eavor Demobilizes Rigs in Geretsried: What It Means for Closed-Loop Geothermal Investors, Heat Markets, and Project Risk

Eavor Demobilizes Rigs from Geretsried: What It Really Means for Closed-Loop Geothermal For three years, two drilling rigs on a farm estate near Geretsried, a Bavarian town about 40 km south of Munich, stood as the symbol of the world's most ambitious closed-loop geothermal experiment. Now in October 2026,  Eavor Technologies, the Calgary-based developer of the Eavor-Loop, has told the town and its heating utility that both rigs would leave the site . The company said keeping idle rigs and specialist services on site was costly, and that releasing them would help put the project in the strongest position to continue with Loop 2 once its commercial structure is reworked . On the surface, this is a logistics decision. Underneath, it is one of the clearest signals yet about where first-of-a-kind geothermal technology stands, and how hard it is to turn a technical proof into a bankable business. This article explains exactly what happened, what the move means and what it does not mean...

Endurance Energy Tests World's First Subsea Geothermal Well at Axial Seamount

Endurance Energy Tests the World's First Subsea Geothermal Well: What the Axial Seamount Demonstration Really Proved What if geothermal energy did not need a power plant on land? What if electricity could be produced directly from the Earth's heat beneath the ocean, with generators sitting on the seafloor and sending power to coastal grids? On October 19, 2026, Seattle-based startup Endurance Energy announced a major step toward that idea. The company said it had drilled and completed the world's first subsea geothermal well and placed a 3-ton test power plant nearly a mile beneath the Pacific. It also reported net-positive electricity from heat at an active underwater volcano, according to its announcement on PR Newswire. The headline numbers are modest. The Adélie prototype produced more electricity than it used for about 8.7 seconds. During that time it delivered a median net output of about 2 kilowatts and a peak of 16.5 kilowatts. One detail matters more than any other...

Djibouti Pays KenGen: $1M Offer on a Five-Year Geothermal Drilling Debt

Djibouti Pays KenGen: A $1 Million Offer on a Five-Year-Old Geothermal Drilling Debt Djibouti has finally moved to pay part of what it owes Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) for drilling work done near Lake Assal. The amount is small next to KenGen's balance sheet. What it says about selling geothermal drilling services across Africa matters a lot more. KenGen's latest annual report says Djibouti's state geothermal agency, the Office Djiboutien de Développement de l'Énergie Géothermique (ODDEG), has offered a first instalment of about $1 million (Sh129 million) against outstanding invoices of $2.13 million (Sh276.03 million), according to Business Daily. "ODDEG has acknowledged the debt and has proposed an initial payment of $1 million as the first instalment towards settlement," KenGen said in the report. KenGen is Kenya's largest power producer, with about 54% of the market. The Kenyan government owns 70% of the company and the public holds t...

BLM Nevada Geothermal Lease Auction Boosts Renewable Energy Investment amid Solar Land Conflict

BLM’s Nevada Geothermal Lease Auction Signals Rising Competition for Federal Energy Land The Bureau of Land Management’s latest geothermal lease sale in Nevada attracted nearly $4.83 million in total receipts, highlighting growing investor interest in geothermal resources as electricity demand rises . The auction also exposed an increasingly important land-use conflict: several geothermal parcels overlap with proposed utility-scale solar projects, including NextEra Energy’s 1,000-megawatt Sawtooth Energy Center. The October 20, 2026, sale offered 83 parcels covering approximately 265,155 acres across 10 Nevada counties. Bidders placed offers on 60 parcels covering 186,641 acres, while 23 parcels received no bids. The results provide a new measure of competition for federal geothermal acreage in one of the United States’ most important geothermal states. Auction Results The Nevada auction attracted 32 registered bidders, of which 18 submitted at least one bid. Across the sale, bidders s...

Menengai Geothermal Project Delays Expose Kenya’s Broken Steam Supply Model

Menengai’s Broken Promise: How Kenya’s Geothermal Model Lost the Steam Thematic image of the Olkaria Geothermal Field  Kenya’s Menengai geothermal project was sold as a model of modern public-private partnership. The state would carry the difficult and expensive burden of geothermal exploration and drilling. Private power producers would then build, own and operate power plants. Geothermal Development Company would supply the steam; the independent power producers would convert it into electricity; Kenya Power would buy the output. On paper, the arrangement was elegant. In practice, Menengai has exposed a far more uncomfortable reality: Kenya’s public steam-supply model is not delivering the certainty it promised. Menengai Phase I was designed to produce 105 megawatts from three 35 MW plants. GDC’s own project page says the three plants were awarded to Globeleq Menengai Geothermal, Sosian Menengai Geothermal Power and OrPower Twenty Two under a build-own-operate structure. Yet the ...

KenGen Risks Losing Olkaria Geothermal Wells Over Licence Error

KenGen Risks Losing Olkaria Wells Over 18-Year Licence Blunder Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) faces a serious legal and operational risk at Olkaria after an error in the coordinates of its geothermal licence left part of the company’s wells, steam infrastructure and other assets outside its legally recognised area. The licensing mistake, made nearly two decades ago, remains unresolved despite the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum acknowledging the problem in 2017.  The dispute has raised questions about the security of KenGen’s investments, the government’s management of geothermal resources and the potential consequences for Kenya’s electricity supply. Olkaria is the country’s most important geothermal centre and accounts for the overwhelming majority of Kenya’s installed geothermal generation capacity.  Licence Error Exposes Strategic Assets The problem dates back to September 19, 2008, when the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum issued KenGen a licence covering ...

Geiselbullach Geothermal Project Confirms 10 MW District Heating Capacity

Geothermal milestone at Geiselbullach: 10 MW of heat confirmed after successful second deep well test On 15 August 2026 the Geiselbullach geothermal project reached a pivotal technical milestone: performance testing of the second deep production well completed successfully, delivering a sustained flow of 90 liters per second of thermal water at 79–80 °C. These measured parameters translate into roughly 10 MW of usable thermal power for district heating, enough to replace a portion of heat currently supplied by the municipal waste-to-energy plant (AHKW) and to create headroom for expanding the regional district heating network. The result confirms the project’s technical assumptions and moves the scheme into system-integration and commissioning activities ahead of planned commercial deliveries for the 2027 heating season. This article explains the test results and their significance, outlines the technical and operational consequences, and places the Geiselbullach development in the bro...

Lithium Harvest Plans Alberta Geothermal Power and Lithium Project

Lithium Harvest’s Alberta Geothermal Project Could Combine Renewable Power and Domestic Lithium Production Lithium Harvest Holding A/S has signed a letter of intent with an unnamed geothermal development partner to establish a joint venture for an integrated geothermal power and lithium production facility in Alberta, Canada. At full nameplate capacity, the proposed project is expected to produce approximately 28,500 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually while generating 0.67 TWh of renewable electricity each year. The development would use a single geothermal resource to supply both baseload power and lithium-bearing brine for direct lithium extraction and refining.  A Dual-Output Geothermal Development The proposed Alberta facility reflects a growing effort to extract more value from geothermal resources than electricity generation alone. Traditional geothermal power projects produce electricity by bringing hot underground fluids to the surface. Depending on resource temperature a...

Corva and Oliasoft Connect Well Design With Real-Time Drilling

Corva and Oliasoft Build a Continuous Learning Loop for Smarter Well Construction Introduction Corva AI and Oliasoft have announced a strategic collaboration designed to connect well engineering, real-time drilling operations and post-well analysis through a bidirectional digital workflow. The integration links Oliasoft WellDesign with Corva’s Real-Time AI platform, creating a continuous information loop in which engineering plans guide field execution and drilling results improve future well designs.  The partnership addresses one of the persistent weaknesses in modern well construction: the separation between planning software and operational systems. Although operators generate large volumes of engineering and drilling data, those datasets often remain fragmented across departments, applications and reporting processes. The result is slower decision-making, repeated manual work and limited transfer of lessons from one well to the next. By connecting design assumptions with liv...

California Court Orders New Environmental Review for Imperial County Geothermal Lithium Project

California Appeals Court Orders New Environmental Review for Imperial County Geothermal–Lithium Project Image: California Salton Lake Sea Hell’s Kitchen geothermal and lithium extraction plan sent back for deeper water, air-quality and mitigation analysis under CEQA A California appeals court has ordered Imperial County to conduct a more rigorous environmental review of the proposed Hell’s Kitchen geothermal power plant and lithium extraction project near the Salton Sea. The Fourth District Court of Appeal found that the county’s original environmental impact report (EIR) did not adequately address long-term water availability, enforceable mitigation measures for water shortages, or potential air-quality impacts tied to the receding Salton Sea. The ruling partially reverses a lower court decision and remands the case to Imperial County Superior Court, requiring the county and project developer Controlled Thermal Resources to address the identified deficiencies before the project can m...