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Showing posts from July 28, 2024

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Next-Gen Geothermal Funding 2026: VCs, Banks, Government Capital

Who Is Really Funding Next-Gen Geothermal in 2026? Next-generation geothermal has moved beyond laboratory research into a capital-intensive commercialization phase. In 2026, the most important financing is no longer coming from one investor category: venture capital funds are financing drilling, subsurface modelling and hardware; strategic energy companies are providing equipment, project access and market credibility; banks are beginning to lend against contracted projects; and governments are absorbing exploration and first-of-a-kind technology risk. The strongest financing activity is concentrated in the United States and Canada, but Europe is becoming increasingly important through Germany-based deployment, European Union grants, UK innovation support, and strategic participation from European energy companies. The central investment question is changing from “Can this technology work?” to “Can the developer deliver repeatable, financeable projects at commercial cost?” The 2026 fun...

Quaise Set To Unleash Millimeter Wave Drilling

Unlocking Earth's Infinite Power: The Revolution of Millimeter Wave Drilling By: Robert Buluma In a groundbreaking test at the  Quaise  laboratory, scientists have taken a monumental step toward tapping into the boundless reservoir of clean energy that lies deep beneath the Earth's surface. This untapped potential, which could power our civilization for millions of years, is now within reach thanks to an innovative technology: millimeter wave drilling. The Hidden Treasure Below Deep geothermal energy holds the promise of providing clean, sustainable power 24/7. Unlike solar or wind, which are intermittent, geothermal energy is constant, driven by the Earth's internal heat. However, accessing this energy, buried deep within the tough, crystalline basement rock, has long been a challenge. Traditional drilling methods falter here, where high pressure and temperature wear down mechanical drill bits rapidly, making the process expensive and inefficient. Enter Millimeter Waves Mi...

Eavor, Government Of Alberta Seeks Input On Alberta Drilling Accelarator

Shaping the Future of Geothermal Energy: Join the Alberta Drilling Accelerator Initiative By: Robert Buluma Imagine a world where the untapped potential of geothermal energy is fully harnessed, propelling us into a future where clean, sustainable power is the norm. This vision is becoming a reality thanks to a groundbreaking initiative led by Eavor Technologies, in partnership with the Government of Alberta, the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association (CanGEA), and the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors (CADEC). They are seeking your invaluable input on the creation of the Alberta Drilling Accelerator (ADA), a pioneering project poised to revolutionize geothermal drilling technology. The First of Its Kind: A Geothermal Drilling Technology Incubator The Alberta Drilling Accelerator is Canada's first geothermal drilling technology incubator, designed as an open-access platform where the global geothermal community can come together to innovate, test, and commercialize new dril...

Exergy and Rentco Set To Revitilize Kenyas Geothermal With Additional 67 MWe

Exergy  and  Rentco Ignite a Geothermal Revolution in Olkaria: A New Era for Clean Energy in Africa By: Robert Buluma In a groundbreaking move set to redefine Kenya's geothermal landscape,  Exergy and  Rentco have inked a cooperation agreement to turbocharge the Olkaria Geothermal Field with an additional 67 MWe capacity. This ambitious project promises not just incremental gains, but a seismic shift in the region's energy dynamics, signaling a bold new chapter in Africa's clean energy saga. Exergy , renowned for its cutting-edge technology and robust portfolio boasting 500 MW capacity, will supply 8 Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plants, contributing approximately 30 MWe to the project. These ORC plants are part of Rentco 's geothermal wellhead projects in Olkaria, designed to harness both flash and ORC systems, optimizing energy extraction from geothermal resources. The strategic deployment of Exergy’s highly efficient Radial Outflow Turbine (ROT) technology ...

Colorado Vouches On Geothermal and Green Hydrogen

Colorado's Bold Leap Toward a Renewable Future: Geothermal and Hydrogen Power in the Spotlight By:  Robert Buluma In a monumental stride toward a greener future, Colorado is ambitiously setting its sights on achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040. While wind and solar have long been the champions of this green revolution, the state is now exploring the untapped potential of geothermal and hydrogen power to bridge the final gap in its renewable energy quest. This pivotal shift promises not only to revolutionize the state's energy landscape but also to offer a fascinating glimpse into the future of sustainable power. A New Dawn: Geothermal Energy Rising Colorado's geological makeup, rich with subsurface heat, positions it as a prime candidate for geothermal energy development. Governor Jared Polis, a staunch advocate for geothermal, underscores the state's exceptional potential: "We happen to have great subsurface heat in Colorado." This seismological advantage...

GA Drilling and Petrobras Partner Up To Spur Deep Drilling

GA Drilling  and  Petrobras Join Forces to Revolutionize Deep Drilling Efficiency By: Robert Buluma In an era where technological advancements are redefining industries, the recent collaboration between  GA Drilling and  Petrobras marks a significant milestone in the energy sector. Announced on July 25, 2024, this partnership is set to transform the landscape of deep drilling, bringing unprecedented efficiency and cost reduction to the forefront. A Game-Changing Partnership GA Drilling , a leader in drilling innovations, has teamed up with Petrobras , one of the world's largest energy companies, to develop a next-generation downhole drilling system. This collaboration, involving Petrobras' renowned research and innovation center, Cenpes, promises to de-risk ultra-deep drilling while enhancing speed and extending tool life. Cutting-Edge Technology At the heart of this partnership lies  GA Drilling pioneering downhole anchoring and drive system. This technolog...

US Reduces Geothermal Permitting Stage From Seven to Two Years

Energy Permitting Legislation from Senators Manchin & Barrasso Will Advance Geothermal in US By: Robert Buluma Accelarated NEPA timelines In a significant step towards a cleaner energy future, the U.S. Senate has introduced the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, a transformative piece of legislation that promises to revolutionize the geothermal energy sector. This landmark bill, incorporating crucial elements of the bipartisan Geothermal Energy Optimization (GEO) Act of 2024, aims to streamline the permitting process for geothermal projects, significantly accelerating their development across the country .  Eavor Technologies Inc., a leader in advanced geothermal solutions, has hailed this legislation as a major breakthrough. Jeanine Vany, Eavor's co-founder and executive vice president of corporate affairs, expressed enthusiastic support, highlighting how the bill will facilitate the deployment of Eavor's groundbreaking closed-loop geothermal technology. This innovative...

Popular posts from this blog

Unlocking Impermeable Geothermal Reservoirs: Hydraulic Stimulation, Menengai and Olkaria

Unlocking the Impermeable Reservoir: Lessons from a 30-Year Reservoir Engineer An Alphaxioms interview with Richard Joseph Holt, Principal Consultant in Reservoir Engineering at RESPEC . Context: Menengai East and Olkaria Central. Every geothermal developer knows the moment.  The rig is gone and the money is spent. The well is drilled to depth, the temperature is there, and then the well will not flow. The heat is real, but the connection between the well and the reservoir is not. Wells like this sit at the centre of one of the most important questions in geothermal development: what do you do with a tight reservoir? Walk away and drill again, or find a way to unlock what is already there? To explore the question, Alphaxioms spoke with Richard Joseph Holt, Principal Consultant in Reservoir Engineering at RESPEC . Richard brings 30 years of global experience in geothermal energy.  We framed our questions around two settings, Menengai East and Olkaria Central, and asked him how ...

GDC Opens Restricted Tender for Menengai Wellbore Scale Services

GDC Opens Restricted Tender for Menengai Wellbore Scale Services Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company Limited (GDC) has announced a new restricted tender targeting one of the most technically important challenges in geothermal field operations: scale formation and its removal from geothermal wells and formations . The procurement notice, posted by GDC on 29 September 2026 , seeks qualified firms to provide specialized downhole wellbore and formation-scale removal and scaling mitigation services for geothermal wells and reservoirs at the Menengai Geothermal Field . The planned service period is three years , creating an opportunity for specialized geothermal service companies with experience in downhole intervention, scale management, wellbore remediation and formation-scale mitigation. According to the notice, interested and qualified firms must submit their full company details and contacts together with their Electronic Government Procurement System (eGP) registration number t...

Global Geothermal Investment 2026: 15 High-Growth Markets

Global Geothermal Investment 2026: 15 Markets Where Developers Should Look Next Geothermal energy is entering its most investable decade yet, with developers, drilling contractors, turbine suppliers and private capital providers scanning a widening map of opportunities beyond the traditional “big five” producers.  This article profiles 15 markets where project pipelines, policy signals, resource quality and technology readiness converge to create compelling entry points in 2026 and beyond.  Why 2026 Is a Turning Point for Geothermal Capital Global geothermal investment is accelerating as governments seek firm, low‑carbon baseload to back up variable wind and solar, while advanced drilling and subsurface engineering lower costs and expand the resource base. Market analysts project the geothermal energy market to reach roughly USD 13.56 billion by 2030, up from about USD 9.81 billion in 2025, implying sustained double‑digit growth in development spend. Capital is flowing not onl...

Maren Maras plans 99-MW geothermal power development in Aydin, Türkiye

Maren Maras plans 99-MW geothermal power development in Aydin, Türkiye Maren Maras is planning a 99-MW geothermal development in Aydın’s Germencik district, consisting of three 33-MW plants with binary-cycle technology, based on regulatory filings and the Final EIA report. The project is expected to generate about 730 GWh annually and requires an estimated TRY 1.82 billion investment. Maren Maras Plans 99-MW Geothermal Power Development in Aydın, Türkiye Maren Maras Elektrik Üretim Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., part of Kipaş Holding, has advanced plans for a major geothermal expansion in Türkiye’s Aydın province. According to regulatory documents and reporting on the company’s environmental filings, the project will add 99 MW of installed geothermal capacity in the Germencik district through three separate 33-MW power plants.  The project adds another large-scale development to one of Türkiye’s most active geothermal regions. Aydın has long been a core province for geothermal power in th...

Arverne secures Limagne geothermal lithium permit to boost supply

Arverne expands geothermal asset portfolio with new lithium exploration permit in Auvergne Arverne secures 442.7 km² PER “Bassin de Limagne” near Clermont-Ferrand French geothermal developer Arverne (Euronext: ARVEN) has been granted an exclusive research permit (Permis Exclusif de Recherches, PER) for lithium and related substances covering the “Bassin de Limagne” in Puy‑de‑Dôme, Auvergne. The five‑year permit, announced 3 September 2026, spans 442.68 km² and adds to Arverne’s growing national portfolio of PERs: the company now holds nine permits in France, three of which are focused on lithium. The award underscores Arverne’s strategy to combine geothermal heat production with geothermal lithium extraction — an integrated model the company is already deploying elsewhere in France. For the Auvergne permit, Arverne emphasizes that the Bassin de Limagne area overlaps with its existing PER for the Riom‑Clermont‑Métropole, where 3D exploration studies have previously evaluated the subsurf...

Billionaire Families Bet on Advanced Geothermal Energy Investments

Billionaire Geothermal Families Bet on Geothermal Billionaire families and private investment offices are placing increasingly large bets on geothermal energy, especially on technologies designed to make the resource available in more locations. Their investments are helping finance enhanced geothermal systems, advanced drilling, closed-loop designs, and other approaches that could transform geothermal from a regionally concentrated power source into a globally scalable clean-energy industry. The investment surge reflects a broader change in the energy market. Electricity demand is rising because of artificial intelligence, data centers, industrial electrification, electric vehicles, and the expansion of digital infrastructure. At the same time, utilities and large corporations need power that is reliable around the clock. Solar and wind remain essential to the clean-energy transition, but their output varies with weather and time of day. Geothermal could complement these technologies ...

Cornish Lithium Awards Halliburton Contract for Geothermal Lithium Project Development

Cornish Lithium awards contract for Cross Lanes Geothermal Lithium Project to Halliburton‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌...

Saudi Arabia AI Data Centers Adopt Strataphy PrimeLoop Cooling Technology

Strataphy Partners With HUMAIN to Deploy PrimeLoop Cooling Across Saudi Arabia’s AI Data Centers Saudi Arabia is moving rapidly to establish itself as a global artificial intelligence and data-center powerhouse, and one of the most important challenges facing that ambition is not simply how much computing capacity can be installed, but how efficiently that computing capacity can be cooled. At LEAP 2026, Strataphy announced a partnership with HUMAIN to deploy its PrimeLoop® cooling technology across HUMAIN’s data-center infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to the announcement, the engagement represents the first deployment of its kind for PrimeLoop® in Saudi Arabia and is designed to address one of the fundamental constraints of large-scale AI infrastructure: thermal management. The partnership comes as HUMAIN works toward a target of approximately 6 GW of AI compute. At that scale, cooling becomes a strategic infrastructure issue rather than a conventional dat...

Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems: Companies, Technology, Investment, Power

Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems: The Companies Building the Next Generation of Underground Energy Image : The Eavor Technologies Geothermal Project  Closed-loop geothermal systems represent one of the most promising frontiers in renewable energy, offering continuous, baseload power without the environmental concerns associated with conventional geothermal development. Unlike traditional open-loop systems that require hydraulic fracturing and consume large volumes of water, closed-loop geothermal circulates a working fluid through sealed underground pipes, extracting heat from hot rock formations while maintaining a self-contained system that eliminates fluid loss, induced seismicity, and reservoir depletion risks.This technology has attracted significant investment and technical innovation from a diverse array of companies spanning startups, established energy firms, and drilling specialists, each pursuing distinct approaches to unlock the vast thermal energy stored beneath the Eart...

Fervo Energy’s Cape Station Reaches Commercial Operation: A Milestone for Enhanced Geothermal

Fervo Energy’s Cape Station Reaches Commercial Operation: What the Milestone Means for Next‑Generation Geothermal On October 1, 2026, Fervo Energy announced that its first GeoBlock at Cape Station in Beaver County, Utah, reached contractual commercial operation , achieving 33 MW net and beginning revenue under a power purchase agreement (PPA). The declaration , reached one day ahead of the contractual commercial operation date after grid synchronization on September 24 , marks an important moment for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) : a greenfield, first‑of‑a‑kind development moving from construction into contracted revenue. This article explains the technical approach Fervo used, evaluates performance and schedule claims, examines cost and scalability implications, places the project in the competitive market context, and summarizes key risks investors and industry watchers should track. What Fervo built: GeoBlocks and the Cape Station design Fervo’s project architecture centers on ...