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Geothermal Power Plant Equipment: Turbines, Pumps, Heat Exchangers and Leading Suppliers

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Geothermal Power Plant Equipment: Turbines, Pumps, Heat Exchangers and Leading Suppliers Geothermal power plants convert heat stored beneath the Earth’s surface into reliable, low-carbon electricity. Unlike solar and wind generation, geothermal plants can operate continuously, making them an important source of baseload renewable power. However, geothermal development is technically demanding because the resource is often hot, corrosive, mineral-rich, and variable in pressure and chemistry. The equipment used in a geothermal power plant must therefore be engineered for durability, high availability, and efficient heat conversion under challenging operating conditions. The central equipment package in a geothermal power plant generally includes turbines or Organic Rankine Cycle expanders, pumps, heat exchangers, separators, condensers, reinjection systems, electrical generators, transformers, switchgear, and control systems. Each component must be selected in relation to the characteris...
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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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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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Green Therma Generation 5 Geothermal Technology Revolutionises Enclosed Loop Heat Production

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Green Therma’s Fifth Generation Geothermal Technology Targets Heat Markets Image: Kim Gunn Maver, Chief Geologist at Green Therma The geothermal industry has historically depended on favourable geological conditions, naturally permeable reservoirs and the availability of underground fluids. Although conventional hydrothermal systems have enabled commercial geothermal electricity generation and heat across several countries, their dependence on specific geological characteristics has limited the number of locations where projects can be developed successfully. A new generation of engineered geothermal technologies is seeking to address these limitations by changing how heat is extracted from the subsurface. Green Therma is advancing what it describes as Generation 5 geothermal technology, centred on Enclosed Loop Geothermal (ELG). Unlike conventional hydrothermal systems and Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) , the technology uses a fully enclosed engineered piping arrangement that pre...
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Germany Advances Rhineland Geothermal Exploration Through Fraunhofer IEG Seismic Survey

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Germany Advances Rhineland Geothermal Exploration as Fraunhofer IEG Secures Seismic Survey Approval A Major Step for Geothermal Energy in Germany Germany is advancing its geothermal exploration ambitions in the Rhineland as researchers move closer to understanding the region's deep geological potential. The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies (Fraunhofer IEG) has secured regulatory approval to conduct a seismic exploration campaign under the Reallabor Geothermie Rheinland (Rhineland Geothermal Real Laboratory), marking an important milestone in efforts to establish geothermal energy as a long-term source of sustainable heat. The approval, granted by the Arnsberg Mining Authority, allows the research team to proceed with preparations for a geophysical measurement campaign covering two profiles with a combined length of approximately 35 kilometres. The proposed survey will investigate the subsurface between Baesweiler, Eschweiler and the H...
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Eden Geothermal’s Expansion: Cornwall’s Ambitious Plan for Four More Wells

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Eden Geothermal Plans Four More Wells in Expansion of Cornwall Renewable Energy Project Eden Geothermal has proposed drilling four additional underground wells at its site near the Eden Project in Cornwall, potentially increasing the total number of wells from two to six. The company says the changes could substantially increase renewable heat and power generation without expanding beyond the development boundary or fundamentally changing the scheme already approved by Cornwall Council.  The proposal represents an important test for the future of deep geothermal energy in the United Kingdom. Geothermal power is often associated with volcanic regions such as Iceland, Kenya, Indonesia and New Zealand, but the Eden project relies on the heat stored deep beneath Cornwall’s granite. If the expansion succeeds, it could demonstrate how naturally occurring underground heat can provide dependable low-carbon energy in countries where conventional geothermal resources are less obvious. At the...
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Ethiopia’s Corbetti Geothermal Project Advances Renewable Energy Development

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Corbetti Geothermal Project: Ethiopia’s Ambitious Plan to Harness Clean Energy for Growth Ethiopia’s Corbetti Geothermal project has taken a significant step forward after signing a contract with the United Kingdom’s Marriott Drilling Group to drill up to four exploration wells near Shashemene in Oromia. The agreement marks the beginning of a new phase for one of Africa’s most closely watched geothermal developments and could help Ethiopia diversify its electricity supply beyond hydropower. The project is being advanced by Taranis Operations Ltd, which recently acquired a majority interest, alongside the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), which retains an approximately 40% minority stake. PIDG has also committed an additional USD 7.2 million through its project-development arm, InfraCo Africa Business Development Limited. The drilling programme is expected to begin early next year after a rig arrives at the Corbetti site and final preparations are completed. The initial e...
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Novi Sad Miseluk Geothermal Heating Plant: €7.6 Million District Heating Project

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Novi Sad Advances Miseluk Geothermal Heating Plant as Serbia Embraces Low-Carbon District Energy Novi Sad is moving ahead with an ambitious district-heating project that could change how new urban neighborhoods in Serbia are supplied with thermal energy. The city’s public heating utility, JKP Novosadska toplana, has launched a new tender for the design and construction of the Miseluk heating plant, a hybrid facility that will combine geothermal energy, natural gas and solar technology. The procurement is valued at approximately 892.5 million Serbian dinars excluding value-added tax, equivalent to roughly €7.6 million. The project is designed to reach a final heating capacity of up to 30 megawatts and will serve the growing Miseluk area of Novi Sad.  The tender represents a renewed attempt to deliver the project after an earlier procurement procedure was cancelled in September 2026 because all submitted bids were considered unacceptable. Companies participating in the new procedure ...
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Fervo Energy Expands Geothermal Pipeline With Landmark Google Power Agreement

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Fervo Energy Expands Geothermal Pipeline as Google Signs Record 396 MW Power Purchase Agreement Alphaxioms Geothermal Insights | Industry Analysis | November 2026 Fervo Energy Moves Enhanced Geothermal Into Commercial Deployment The global geothermal energy industry is entering an important commercialisation phase as Fervo Energy reports significant operational progress, expands its project development pipeline, and secures a landmark electricity offtake agreement with Google. In its third-quarter 2026 results, released on November 9, Fervo confirmed that its Cape Station geothermal development in Utah had achieved first power and contractual commercial operation at its initial 33-megawatt (MW) GeoBlock. The milestone represents a significant transition for the company, moving its enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technology further from demonstration and development into commercial electricity generation. The company also announced a 15-year, grid-connected, take-or-pay power purchase...
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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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Tajogaite Energía and INVOLCAN Explore La Palma Geothermal Energy Potential

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Tajogaite Energía and INVOLCAN Join Forces to Explore La Palma’s Geothermal Potential Tajogaite Energía S.L. has taken a significant step toward assessing the geothermal potential of La Palma by formalising an agreement with the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (INVOLCAN). The agreement covers surface geothermal exploration and research across 19 mining grids awarded to the company by the Government of the Canary Islands, with a total value of €387,698.50. The initiative does not yet mean that a geothermal power plant will be built or that deep drilling will begin immediately. Instead, it represents an essential early phase: using advanced scientific methods to understand what lies beneath the island’s surface and identify the areas with the greatest potential for future geothermal development. A Strategic Agreement for Canary Islands Energy The collaboration between Tajogaite Energía S.L. and INVOLCAN forms part of the public tender process launched by the Canary Islands Govern...
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Israel Plans First Geothermal Energy Plant in Golan Heights

By Robert Buluma Alphaxioms
Israel’s Geothermal Energy Plan: How the Golan Heights Could Power a Cleaner, More Reliable Grid Israel is preparing to take a major step beyond solar and wind. The Energy Ministry is promoting the country’s first geothermal electricity pilot in the southern Golan Heights, an area known for underground heat resources. The initiative aims to turn heat from deep beneath the surface into clean, continuous electricity—power that does not depend on sunshine, wind speed, or time of day. The proposed project is more than a single power plant. It is part of a broader effort to diversify Israel’s energy mix, strengthen energy security, support rising electricity demand, and build the regulatory and technological foundation for a new renewable-energy sector. According to the Jerusalem Post, the ministry’s plan includes a pilot facility, new regulations, economic incentives, research and development, and preparation for next-generation geothermal systems. Why Geothermal Energy Matters Geothermal ...
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