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Showing posts from January 4, 2026

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Újbuda Geothermal Energy Exploration Approval Boosts Sustainable Heating Potential

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Újbuda Gets Approval to Explore Its Geothermal Energy Potential Budapest’s Újbuda district has received approval to examine whether geothermal energy can contribute to its future heating and energy needs. The decision places one of the capital’s most densely populated districts at the centre of Hungary’s broader effort to make better use of its underground thermal resources. The approval does not mean that a geothermal power plant or district-heating system will be built immediately. Instead, it allows the district and its partners to investigate the geological conditions, technical feasibility, environmental implications and financial requirements of using heat stored beneath the city. The project could eventually support cleaner heating, reduce dependence on imported natural gas and strengthen Budapest’s energy resilience. Its success, however, will depend on careful geological research, responsible water management, transparent public consultation and a realistic financing model. Wh...
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Germany set to fund North Rhine-Westphalia Geothermals quest

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
The Hidden Treasure Beneath Our Feet: How Geothermal Energy is Powering Tomorrow's Heat Supply in North Rhine-Westphalia By:  Robert Buluma Imagine standing in the heart of an industrial city like Duisburg, where once coal-fired power plants dominated the skyline, and now a quiet revolution is brewing deep underground. On January 8, 2026, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy, Mona Neubaur,handed over a funding notice worth approximately 7.5 million euros to the Stadtwerke Duisburg. This isn't just paperwork ,it's the key to unlocking a sustainable future for heat supply in one of Germany's most populous regions. This milestone marks a bold step in NRW's ambitious push toward a climate-neutral heat supply by 2045. At the center of this transformation stands geothermal energy,the reliable, weather-independent heat stored beneath our feet. Duisburg's exploration drilling project exemplifies how the stat...
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GEOLOG Acquires Quad Ltd and QO Inc. to Revamp Wellsite Geology and Pore Pressure Outreach

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Revolutionizing the Depths: How GEOLOG's Strategic Acquisition is Supercharging Geothermal Energy's Future By: Robert Buluma Imagine plunging miles beneath the Earth's surface, tapping into an ancient furnace of heat that never sleeps, never falters, and never runs out. This is geothermal energy—the planet's own endless battery, capable of powering civilizations with clean, reliable electricity around the clock. While solar panels go dark at night and wind turbines stand idle in calm air, geothermal delivers baseload power with capacity factors often above 90%. In a world racing toward net-zero emissions and facing exploding energy demands from data centers, electric vehicles, and industrial growth, geothermal is emerging as the sleeping giant ready to awaken. Scaling geothermal globally, however, is no simple task. Drilling deep into the crust exposes crews to extreme conditions: temperatures soaring past 300°C, highly corrosive fluids, and rock so hard it can destroy...
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FORGE: Engineering the Earth’s Heat and Redefining the Future of Geothermal Energy

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
FORGE: Engineering the Earth’s Heat and Redefining the Future of Geothermal Energy Deep beneath our feet lies an energy source so vast that it could power civilization for millennia. It does not depend on sunshine, wind patterns, rainfall, or seasons. It operates day and night, immune to geopolitical disruptions and fuel price volatility. This source is geothermal energy — and at the heart of its most ambitious transformation sits a groundbreaking initiative known as the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE). FORGE is not a power plant. It is not a commercial geothermal field. It is something far more radical: a living laboratory designed to solve the single greatest challenge holding geothermal energy back from global dominance how to engineer reliable geothermal reservoirs anywhere on Earth. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the FORGE program, exploring its goals and objectives, examining its current status and future direction, and distilling...
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Geo Dipa's Game-Changing Leap: Commercial Silica and Lithium Production from Geothermal Brines by 2028

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Geo Dipa's Ambitious Leap: Extracting Silica and Lithium from Geothermal Brines by 2028 Introduction In an era where the global energy transition demands sustainable sources of critical minerals, Indonesia's state-owned PT Geo Dipa Energi ( Persero ) is positioning itself at the forefront of innovation. By 2028, Geo Dipa plans to commence commercial production of silica and lithium extracted from geothermal brines, a byproduct of its geothermal power operations. This initiative not only diversifies the company's revenue streams but also aligns with Indonesia's broader goals of enhancing renewable energy capacity and supporting the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain.  Geothermal energy, harnessed from the Earth's heat, produces hot brines rich in dissolved minerals like lithium and silica. Traditionally viewed as waste, these brines are now seen as valuable resources. Geo Dipa's strategy builds on years of feasibility studies and international partnershi...
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Banda Baru Geothermal Tender Flops: Zero Bidders Step Forward

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Banda Baru Geothermal Survey Tender Fails to Attract Bidders By:  Robert Buluma Indonesia's push toward renewable energy suffered a notable setback in late 2025 when the tender for the Preliminary Survey and Exploration Assignment (WPSPE) of the Banda Baru Sepa geothermal block closed without a single bidder. Located on the remote Seram Island in Maluku Province, this 1,989-hectare site was seen as a promising addition to the nation's geothermal portfolio, with estimated potential of around 25-30 MW. The tender, open from October 31 to December 1, 2025, aimed to assign a developer for initial surveys and exploration, but the lack of interest underscores deep-rooted challenges in attracting investment to Indonesia's geothermal sector. Seram Island, a rugged and largely undeveloped landmass north of Ambon, is characterized by dense rainforests, towering mountains, and limited infrastructure. The Banda Baru block's location amplifies logistical difficulties, making it a to...
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FINANCING STRATEGIES FOR GEOTHERMAL PROJECTS LEVERAGING TAX CREDIT INCENTIVES

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
FINANCING STRATEGIES FOR GEOTHERMAL PROJECTS LEVERAGING TAX CREDIT INCENTIVES Aligning Policy, Risk Mitigation, and Investor Capital to Unlock Geothermal Growth Geothermal energy stands at a unique crossroads in the global energy transition. It is one of the few renewable resources capable of delivering continuous, baseload power and heat, independent of weather conditions. Unlike solar and wind, geothermal offers grid stability, industrial heat, and long-term energy security. Yet despite its immense potential, geothermal deployment has historically lagged behind other renewables due to high upfront capital costs, geological uncertainty, and complex financing requirements. In recent years, governments and financial institutions have increasingly turned to **tax credit incentives as a strategic lever to overcome these barriers. By reducing capital expenditure, improving cash flow profiles, and attracting institutional investors, tax credits are reshaping how geothermal projects are fina...
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 Breakthrough Commercial-Scale Borehole Thermal Energy Storage

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
A Breakthrough in UK Geothermal: Pioneering Commercial-Scale Borehole Thermal Energy Storage By:  Robert Buluma In a recent LinkedIn post, Simon Todd, Managing Director of Causeway Energies , shared exciting details about a groundbreaking geothermal project that's set to make history in the UK and Ireland. This initiative isn't just another feasibility study it's poised to deliver the region's first commercial-scale Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES) system, with installation planned for 2026. The Project: Smart Replacement for Aging Infrastructure The story begins with a local authority council building that already had a ground source heat pump providing underfloor heating in winter. Unfortunately, the heat pump was damaged by water, and aging chillers were struggling to meet summer cooling demands. Causeway Energies conducted a Phase 1 feasibility study and proposed a brilliant, efficient solution: replace both the old heat-only pump and the chillers with a singl...
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Geothermal Policies Around the World: A Comparative Analysis

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Geothermal Policies Around the World: A Comparative Analysis By: Robert Buluma Introduction to Geothermal Energy and Its Global Significance Geothermal energy harnesses the Earth's internal heat to generate electricity, provide heating, and support industrial processes. Unlike solar or wind, it offers a stable, baseload power source unaffected by weather, making it a cornerstone for renewable energy transitions. Globally, geothermal power capacity stands at around 15-16 GW, contributing significantly in regions with volcanic activity or tectonic plates. Countries like Iceland, where geothermal meets 25% of electricity needs, exemplify its potential. The International Energy Agency notes that while over 100 nations have policies for solar and wind, fewer than 30 support geothermal, highlighting a policy gap. This article explores geothermal policies in key countries: the United States, Iceland, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Kenya, Italy, Japan, and Turkey. By examining in...
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Popular posts from this blog

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

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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...
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Endurance Energy Tests World's First Subsea Geothermal Well at Axial Seamount

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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...
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Geiselbullach Geothermal Project Confirms 10 MW District Heating Capacity

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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...
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Menengai Geothermal Project Delays Expose Kenya’s Broken Steam Supply Model

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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 ...
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Djibouti Pays KenGen: $1M Offer on a Five-Year Geothermal Drilling Debt

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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...
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BLM Nevada Geothermal Lease Auction Boosts Renewable Energy Investment amid Solar Land Conflict

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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...
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KenGen Risks Losing Olkaria Geothermal Wells Over Licence Error

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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 ...
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Lithium Harvest Plans Alberta Geothermal Power and Lithium Project

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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...
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Corva and Oliasoft Connect Well Design With Real-Time Drilling

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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...
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California Court Orders New Environmental Review for Imperial County Geothermal Lithium Project

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
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...
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