ALPHAXIOMS Geothermal News & Energy Research

Tanzania Embraces Geothermal Energy: A Path to Sustainable Power By: Robert Buluma Tanzania is taking bold steps toward a cleaner, more reliable energy future by prioritizing geothermal power development. During a recent address at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Annual Meeting of the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Minister for Energy Deogratius Ndejembi reaffirmed the government’s firm commitment to geothermal energy as a key pillar of the country’s energy mix. The minister emphasized that geothermal will help deliver sufficient, affordable, and sustainable electricity while supporting global efforts to transition to clean energy systems. This strategic focus is embedded in major national and international frameworks, including Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050, the 2015 National Energy Policy, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris cl...

Switch's Bold Move: Signing a 13MW Geothermal PPA with Ormat Technologies in Nevada – A Game-Changer for Sustainable Data Centers Image: Ormat Power Plant Posted by Alphaxioms Geothermal News on January 12, 2026 Welcome back to Alphaxioms Geothermal News, your go-to source for all things geothermal energy, innovation, and sustainability. As we kick off 2026, the intersection of renewable energy and high-tech industries is heating up—literally. Today, we're diving deep into a groundbreaking announcement that's set to reshape how data centers power their operations. Global data center operator Switch has inked a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Ormat Technologies for 13MW of geothermal power from the Salt Wells geothermal power plant in Nevada. This isn't just another deal; it's a pivotal step toward carbon-free, reliable energy for the AI-driven future. In this comprehensive blog post, we'll unpack the details of this agreement, explore the technolog...

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...

Breaking Ground: Vulcan Energy's G-LEP Plant in Landau Paves the Way for Europe's Sustainable Lithium Revolution By: Robert Buluma In the heart of Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate region, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the laying of the foundation stone for the first optimized Geothermal and Lithium Extraction Plant (G-LEP) in Landau, spearheaded by Vulcan Energy Resources, an Australian-German company. As Petra Dick-Walther, State Secretary in the Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, and Mobility of Rhineland-Palatinate, described in her recent social media post, this project represents a "quantum leap into the future." It enables the simultaneous extraction of climate-neutral lithium and generation of renewable energy from the hot thermal beds of the Upper Rhine Graben, opening new avenues for Germany's energy transition, supply security, and Europe's sovereignty over critical resources. Lithium, a key component in batteries for electri...

Prenzlau’s Geothermal Breakthrough: A Decisive Step Toward a Fully Renewable Heat Future By: Robert Buluma The city of Prenzlau, located in northeastern Germany, has reached a major milestone in its transition toward sustainable energy. In December 2025, Stadtwerke Prenzlau announced a decisive breakthrough in its geothermal project after successfully encountering geothermal water at a depth of 983 meters. This discovery represents a critical step forward for the city’s ambition to fully decarbonize its heat supply and positions Prenzlau as a leading example of how medium-sized towns can harness geothermal energy for district heating. The geothermal water discovered during drilling operations is estimated to be around 200 million years old and is contained within a saline sandstone formation deep underground. With a temperature of approximately 44°C and a planned production rate of 130 cubic meters per hour, the resource offers a reliable and continuous source of renewable heat. A test...

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...

Exciting PhD Opportunity at Utrecht University : Unravelling Clogging Mechanisms in Porous and Fractured Rocks (Deadline: 14 December 2025) Published on  December 2025 By: Robert Buluma Are you a curious MSc graduate in Earth Sciences, Geology, Physics, or a related field who wants to work on cutting-edge research that directly supports the energy transition? Then this fully funded PhD position at Utrecht University (The Netherlands) might be exactly what you’re looking for! The Project – Why it matters Many of tomorrow’s energy solutions  geothermal energy, CO₂ storage, underground hydrogen storage , depend on injecting and extracting large volumes of fluids into the subsurface. A major risk that can kill these projects is clogging: pores and fractures gradually get blocked by particles, precipitates, or biomass, reducing permeability and sometimes stopping flow altogether. Although individual clogging mechanisms are reasonably well studied, we still lack a good understanding...

Breakthrough Beneath the Beach: Amsterdam Region Hits Geothermal Paydirt at Strandeiland By: Robert Buluma The Netherlands just took a giant leap toward fossil-free heating. On the artificial island of Strandeiland (part of Amsterdam’s fast-growing IJburg district), the SCAN exploration well has officially confirmed what the geothermal community has been hoping for: a thick, hot, and , most importantly permeable reservoir in the Slochteren Formation. Key numbers that matter:   Reservoir thickness: 152 meters   Bottom-hole temperature: 66 °C   Permeability: confirmed via successful production and injection tests   That’s not screaming-hot by Icelandic standards, but for direct-use district heating in one of Europe’s densest urban areas, 66 °C is more than enough to supply thousands of homes with clean, baseload heat – forever. Why This Well Changes Everything for the Netherlands The Dutch government launched the SCAN program (Seismic Campaign Nethe...

Húsavík Geothermal Exploration Heats Up: Orkuveita Húsavíkur Drills for the Future By: Robert Buluma November 26, 2025 , If you’ve noticed drilling rigs popping up around Húsavík and the surrounding area lately, you’re not imagining things. Orkuveita Húsavíkur, the local geothermal utility, is in the middle of an ambitious new phase of temperature-gradient drilling to map the hidden geothermal resources beneath Norðurþing. The company has contracted Vatnaboranir ehf. to drill seven new shallow wells (70–90 meters deep) across the region. Three of these holes are specifically on the Bakki industrial area to investigate the potential for warm seawater (jarðsjór) that could supercharge land-based aquaculture projects. The rest are scattered around the Húsavík vicinity to hunt for high-temperature resources that could secure the town’s heating needs ,and possibly open the door to electricity generation , for decades to come. Why Now? Húsavík has been 100 % geothermal-heated since the 197...

First Utility-Owned Geothermal Network Set to Double with DOE Grant , A Bipartisan Clean Energy Win By: Robert Buluma In a political climate where clean energy funding is under siege, geothermal is emerging as the unexpected survivor. Just days ago, the U.S. Department of Energy greenlit an $8.6 million grant to expand the nation's pioneering utility-led geothermal heating and cooling network in Framingham, Massachusetts. This move, finalized under the Trump administration, signals that geothermal – reliable, efficient, and domestic – might just be the renewable technology that transcends partisan divides. The Framingham Pilot: A Groundbreaking Start Launched in 2024 by Eversource Energy , the Framingham project marked a U.S. first: a utility-owned networked geothermal system serving an entire neighborhood. Spanning residential homes, a school, a firehouse, and low-income housing, the initial phase taps into stable underground temperatures around 55°F via dozens of boreholes drill...