GA Drilling and HEATLINQ Launch Joint Venture: A Game-Changer for Industrial Geothermal Heat in Europe
Posted on Alphaxioms Geothermal News – January 20, 2026
Geothermal energy has long been hailed as one of the most reliable, clean, and baseload-capable renewable sources available—delivering constant heat and power 24/7, rain or shine. Yet, scaling it for widespread industrial use has remained challenging due to high drilling costs, geological limitations, and the need for ultra-deep access to high temperatures. Enter the recent announcement from GA Drilling and HEATLINQ: a strategic joint venture focused on deep geothermal projects tailored for industrial heat decarbonization, starting in the Netherlands.
This partnership, unveiled in late 2025 via LinkedIn posts from GA Drilling and its founder Igor Kočiš, marks a concrete step toward making deep geothermal a practical, scalable reality for European industry today ,not just a distant promise.
Who Are the Players?
GA Drilling, based in Bratislava, Slovakia (with operations extending to the US, UK, and UAE), is a leader in advanced drilling technologies for geothermal and hard-rock applications. Formerly known as Geothermal Anywhere, the company has developed innovations like PLASMABIT (a plasma-based, contactless drilling method that uses high-energy pulses to fracture rock without traditional bit wear) and ANCHORBIT/NexTitan (an autonomous downhole anchoring and control system that eliminates stick-slip vibrations, enables real-time adjustments, and boosts rates of penetration—ROP—by 20-50% or more).
NexTitan, in particular, stands out: it anchors close to the bit, senses conditions in real time, and adapts force autonomously. Field tests in Houston (2023) validated its ability to "walk" and grip reliably while drilling up to 100 ft/hr (31 m/hr) in challenging formations. These technologies address core barriers in ultra-deep geothermal—high costs, tool failures in hard rock, and slow progress—potentially cutting drilling expenses by 40% or more while enabling access to supercritical temperatures (over 350°C) at depths of 10 km or beyond.
The company has attracted significant backing, including investments from Nabors Industries (integrating tech into automated rigs), Planet A Ventures (highlighting its LCA-proven GHG reductions), and collaborations like with NREL on downhole generators for high-temperature drilling. GA Drilling's mission: unlock geothermal "anywhere" for baseload power, heating, and industrial applications, transitioning oil & gas expertise to clean energy.
HEATLINQ, founded in 2021 in the Netherlands (Amsterdam-based), focuses on ultra-deep closed-loop geothermal systems
Their patented approach creates a fully sealed circuit that extracts heat from depths >4 km without fracking, induced seismicity, or surface emissions. Key advantages include location-independent deployment (not reliant on natural hot spots), compatibility with existing infrastructure, and high energy yields for baseload electricity or heat. HEATLINQ positions itself as a bridge between drilling innovations and fossil-dependent industries, aiming to provide carbon-neutral energy that's safe, scalable, and ready for global rollout.
The Netherlands is an ideal launchpad: the country has strong subsurface potential (warm aquifers at 1.5-4 km depths), a mature geothermal sector (around 30 operational doublets producing over 6 PJ/year, mainly for greenhouses), ambitious net-zero targets, and policies supporting sustainable heat via networks. Geothermal already meets a fraction of heat demand, with potential for 25%+ nationally and over 50% in horticulture.
The Joint Venture: Objectives and First Steps
The JV combines GA Drilling's NexTitan drilling prowess with HEATLINQ's local expertise and project development capabilities in the Dutch/European market. Shared goals include:
- Preparing and developing deep geothermal projects.
- Delivering clean, reliable baseload heat for industry (where electrification falls short).
- Scaling deep geothermal into a standard industrial solution, reducing exposure to geopolitical energy risks like imported gas fluctuations.
A key first milestone: an innovative demonstration pilot project for a joint client, prepared in late 2025 and expected to launch later that year (or early 2026). This real-world showcase aims to prove the combined tech stack—faster, cheaper deep drilling + closed-loop heat extraction—while creating jobs, delivering tangible industrial value, and building visibility for broader adoption.
As Igor Kočiš emphasized: "Europe needs results, not promises." The partnership thanks team members like Dušan Kočiš, Matúš Gajdoš, and Tony Branch, underscoring collaborative dedication.
Why This Matters for Geothermal and Industry
Industrial heat accounts for a massive share of Europe's energy use and emissions—often hard to decarbonize via electrification alone due to high-temperature needs. Deep geothermal offers stable, local, zero-emission heat independent of weather or geopolitics.
This JV arrives amid rising momentum:
- Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and next-gen tech are lowering costs globally (e.g., Fervo Energy, Eavor, Utah FORGE improvements).
- Europe's energy security push post-crises favors domestic renewables.
- Dutch policies (via Geothermie Nederland, EBN, subsidies like SDE) support growth, with potential for rapid doublet expansion.
Success here could accelerate "geothermal anywhere" models, revitalizing stranded oil/gas assets and creating skilled jobs in drilling transition.
Looking Ahead
As of January 2026, details on the pilot's exact location, client, or outcomes remain emerging, watch for updates from GA Drilling (gadrilling.com) or HEATLINQ (heatlinq.com). If this demonstration delivers, it could catalyze more European projects, proving deep geothermal's viability for heavy industry and contributing to EU net-zero goals.
Geothermal isn't just heating up,it's drilling deeper into a cleaner future. Stay tuned for developments; this could be one of the most impactful steps in industrial decarbonization this decade.
What do you think,will deep geothermal JV partnerships like this scale fast enough to meet 2030 targets? Drop your thoughts below!
Follow @Alphaxioms for more geothermal news, tech breakdowns, and updates.
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