El Salvador's Volcanic Awakening: How the Berlin 2 Plant is Powering a Nation's Bold Leap into the Future By: Robert Buluma Imagine a land where ancient volcanoes rumble beneath the surface, not as harbingers of destruction, but as silent guardians of boundless energy. In El Salvador, the smallest nation in Central America, this isn't just poetic fancy,it's reality. On December 13, 2025, amid the lush hills of Usulután, the inauguration of the Berlin 2 Binary Cycle Plant marked a seismic shift in the country's energy landscape. With a thunderous applause from engineers, officials, and locals alike, President Nayib Bukele's vision for a modern, self-sufficient El Salvador ignited into life. This isn't just another power plant; it's a beacon of innovation, harnessing the Earth's fiery core to light up millions of homes. Buckle up as we dive into this captivating story of renewal, resilience, and raw power. El Salvador has long been a geothermal powerho...

Kenya–Tanzania–Uganda–France Ignite Geothermal Diplomacy in Paris: Inside the KTUF Technical Session Shaping Africa’s Heat-Powered Future By Robert Buluma | Alphaxioms | January 2026 On a cold January morning in Paris, far from the steaming fumaroles of Olkaria or the rift valleys of Tanzania and Uganda, a different kind of heat will rise. Not from magma or superheated brine but from ideas, alliances, and ambition. On January 20th, 2026, geothermal leaders from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and France will gather for a high-impact, in-person KTUF technical session, a moment that could quietly redefine how East Africa unlocks the Earth’s hidden fire. This is not just another workshop. It is a strategic convergence.  A Partnership Forged in Heat and Trust The KTUF initiative, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, France is anchored within the FEXTE framework, supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and coordinated with the French Association of Geothermal Professionals (AFPG) . At i...

Unlocking Hawaii’s Hidden Cooling Power: New Report Reveals Huge Potential for Geothermal Cooling on Oahu (2025) By:  Robert Buluma Could the same volcanic islands that give Hawaii its famous heat also provide the solution to cool its buildings , without crushing the electric grid?   A groundbreaking new report released December 8, 2025, by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) says the answer is a resounding yes. Shallow geothermal heat exchangers (GHEs) , also known as geothermal heat pumps or ground-source heat pumps ,could dramatically cut cooling costs and electricity demand across Oahu, especially for large buildings like schools, military bases, and university facilities. Here’s everything you need to know about this exciting development in Hawaii geothermal cooling technology. Why Hawaii Is Perfectly Suited for Geothermal Cooling Most of the world uses geothermal heat pumps for heating in cold climates. Hawaii ...

Nairobi 2029: Africa’s Turn to Host the World Geothermal Congress What It Means for African Baseload Power By:  Robert Buluma When Nairobi was selected to host the World Geothermal Congress (WGC) in 2029, it marked a historic turning point for both Kenya and the African continent. For the first time, the world’s most influential geothermal gathering will be held in Africa, sending a powerful signal: geothermal energy is no longer a niche technology discussed mainly in Europe, North America, or parts of Asia,it is now firmly rooted in Africa’s energy future. By edging out strong bids from traditional powerhouses such as Brussels and Germany, Nairobi’s victory underscores Kenya’s growing reputation as a global geothermal leader and positions Africa at the center of critical conversations about clean, reliable, baseload energy. Why Nairobi—and Why It Matters Kenya’s selection was not symbolic goodwill; it was earned. Over the past two decades, the country has quietly built one of the ...

Harnessing the Earth's Hidden Fire: UGM's Revolutionary Leap into Geothermal Cooling for a Cooler, Greener Indonesia Posted on December 14, 2025 | By  Robert Buluma Picture this: It's a blistering afternoon in Jakarta, the kind where the humidity clings to your skin like a second layer, and the air conditioner hums relentlessly, devouring electricity powered by distant coal plants. The planet warms, sea levels rise, and our energy bills skyrocket. But what if the solution to cooling our cities lay not in the sky's fickle sun or the wind's whisper, but deep beneath our feet,in the simmering heat of the Earth itself? This isn't science fiction; it's the bold vision being championed by Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia's premier academic powerhouse, as they ignite a geothermal revolution for building cooling systems. In a move that's as groundbreaking as it is timely, UGM is spearheading the transition to clean energy by tapping into Indonesia...

Breakthrough in Taiwan’s Deep Geothermal Energy: Academia Sinica and CPC Corporation Drill Nearly 4,000 Meters in Yilan and Find High-Potential Reservoir Published: December 10, 2025 By:  Robert Buluma   In a historic milestone for Taiwan’s renewable energy journey, Academia Sinica (Central Research Academy) and Taiwan’s state-owned CPC Corporation have successfully completed the island’s first-ever “deep geothermal exploratory well” in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County. The well reached a depth of nearly 4,000 meters, recorded a bottom-hole temperature close to 150 °C, and confirmed the existence of an upwelling heat source beneath the northern Yilan Plain. Researchers are now calling it a “high-potential geothermal reservoir” that could become a cornerstone of Taiwan’s green energy transition. From Anxiety to Excitement: The Temperature Surprise Dr. Ji-Chen Lee (李建成), principal investigator of the “Taiwan Geothermal Research and Technology Development Project” and researcher a...

Europe’s Geothermal Revolution Is Coming: EGEC Demands a 250 GW Target by 2040 – Here’s Why 2026 Will Be Make-or-Break By: Robert Buluma Published: December 9, 2025   On 5 December 2025, the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) dropped a bombshell policy paper with a crystal-clear message to Brussels: Europe is sleeping on the biggest indigenous, baseload, 24/7 renewable energy source under its feet , and it’s time to wake up. Titled ,The European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan , Making Europe competitive, secure and affordable, the document is the strongest industry call yet for the European Commission to publish a dedicated European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan in Q1 2026. And the ambition is massive: 250 GW of installed geothermal capacity by 2040 a six-fold increase from today’s ~44 GW (mostly district heating and a handful of power plants). Why Now? Because Europe Can No Longer Afford to Wait Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Europe has been laser-focu...

A 400-Year-Old Tudor Mansion Just Chose Next-Gen Geothermal  And It Changes Everything Posted by  Robert Buluma | December 11, 2025 Deep in the rolling countryside of Suffolk, England, stands Kentwell Hall ,a moated, red-brick Tudor masterpiece built in 1563, complete with octagonal guard towers, a 16th-century long gallery, and gardens that have hosted queens. For centuries it has been heated (if you can call it that) by a wheezing, century-old oil boiler that gulps thousands of litres of heating oil every winter yet still leaves the 400-year-old rooms chilly and the fuel bills astronomical. That is about to change , dramatically, invisibly, and permanently. This week it was announced that Kentwell Hall has selected CeraPhi Energy , a British deep-geothermal pioneer, to carry out a world-first feasibility study and, if successful, install a closed-loop deep geothermal heating system that will make the entire estate net-zero with almost zero visible impact on the Grade I list...