Fervo Energy's $462 Million Geothermal Gold Rush: Google Joins the Heat By:  Robert Buluma December 10, 2025 In the fast-evolving world of clean energy, where solar panels dominate skylines and wind farms stretch across horizons, a deeper and quieter revolution is rising from beneath our feet. Fervo Energy, the Houston-based innovator in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), has just announced an astonishing $462 million Series E funding round. This isn’t just another climate-tech investment,it's a tectonic moment for geothermal energy. The round was led by   B Capital , joined by major players including Google , Tesla co-founder JB Straubel, and nuclear industry leader Kris Singh. With continued backing from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Devon Energy, Fervo’s total funding now exceeds $1.5 billion. Why the sudden rush? As AI-driven data centers consume unprecedented amounts of electricity and political winds shift around renewable priorities, geothermal’s promise of 2...

A Historic Milestone for Błonie: The Symbolic Launch of Geothermal Well Błonie GT-1 By: Robert Buluma December 9, 2025 Błonie, Poland On December 3, 2025, the town of Błonie (just 30 km west of Warsaw) celebrated a moment many of us have been waiting for: the official, symbolic start of drilling the geothermal well Błonie GT-1. The drilling rig has actually been working non-stop for several weeks already. By the day of the ceremony, the borehole had reached a depth of 1,169 metres, and just 24 hours later it passed 1,214 metres. Yet the town wanted to mark this occasion properly , with speeches, guests of honour, and hundreds of curious residents gathered around the towering rig. The ribbon was cut together by Mayor Zenon Reszka and Marek Balcer, President of Geotermia Mazowiecka S.A. Both stressed that this project could become a turning point for the energy future of our 13,000-strong community. Among the guests were some of the most important figures in Polish geology and green ener...

Milestone Achieved: New Zealand’s Newest Geothermal Power Station TOPP2 Successfully Synchronised to the National Grid By:  Robert Buluma On 3 December 2025, a significant new chapter in Aotearoa New Zealand’s renewable energy story began when the 49 MW Te Onetapu Power Plant 2 (TOPP2) , the country’s newest geothermal station , was successfully synchronised to the national grid for the first time. Located in the Kawerau geothermal field, TOPP2 is the result of a unique and groundbreaking partnership between Eastland Generation (a subsidiary of Eastland Group) and Ngāti Tūwharetoa Geothermal Assets Ltd, the commercial arm of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Settlement Trust. A True Partnership Success Story This is not just another power station. TOPP2 represents one of the most successful examples of post-Treaty settlement iwi ownership and operation in the energy sector. Ngāti Tūwharetoa Geothermal Assets supplies the geothermal steam and heat under a long-term agreement, while Eastland Gene...

Hyundai E&C Breaks Record: Building the World’s Largest Single-Unit Geothermal Power Plant in Indonesia By:  Robert Buluma In a remarkable feat of engineering, Hyundai Engineering & Construction ( Hyundai E&C) has just completed the Sarulla Geothermal Power Plant (Sarulla GPP) in North Sumatra, Indonesia now officially recognized as the world’s largest single-unit geothermal power plant with a capacity of 330 MW. This milestone not only showcases Korean engineering excellence on the global stage but also marks a significant step forward for clean, reliable renewable energy in Southeast Asia. A Giant Leap for Geothermal Energy Located in the Sarulla region of North Sumatra, the plant consists of three units that together deliver 330 megawatts of clean electricity enough to power approximately 2.1 million Indonesian households. What makes Sarulla truly special is its single-unit design. While many geothermal projects around the world are built in smaller, modular phases...

Exclusive interview with Exergy : discover the new Gemini dual-flow radial outflow turbine, the first single-unit ORC solution for 30–60 MW geothermal projects, offering up to 30 % lower costs and 99 % availability. By:  Robert Buluma .   An interview with  Luca Pozzoni -  Deputy CEO | Group CFO - Exergy International and the Exergy Team 1. Can you walk us through the key design innovations in your new Gemini turbine and how it differs from previous models? The major innovation of the Gemini turbine lies in the dual-flow configuration: unlike conventional radial outflow turbines which are equipped with a single bladed overhung rotor disk, the Gemini features a double-side bladed rotor disk mounted in a between-bearing configuration. This enables the efficient processing of significantly larger volumes of fluid, leading to higher power output having basically two radial outflow turbines in a single machine with enhanced operational stability and simplified mainte...

€1 Billion EU Auction: A Game-Changer for Decarbonizing Europe's Industrial Heat Posted by Robert Buluma | December 4, 2025 In a bold move toward climate neutrality, the European Commission has just opened the doors to a €1 billion funding bonanza aimed squarely at slashing fossil fuel dependency in one of Europe's most carbon-intensive sectors: industrial heat. If you're in the energy transition space, engineering, or sustainability game, this is your wake-up call. The Innovation Fund Fixed Premium Auction 2025 (IF25) for Industrial Process Heat Decarbonisation is now live, and it's not just another grant round—it's a competitive sprint to electrify and renew the way industries heat up their operations. As of today, December 4, 2025, the call is open for submissions until February 19, 2026. With projects required to be up and running within four years of grant signature, this auction is designed for speed and scale. Let's break it down: what it covers, who'...

Alberta launches $35-million challenge to reinvent drilling for the next 50 years   By  Robert Buluma | December 3, 2025   EDMONTON – The days of drilling straight down and hoping for the best are long gone. Today, operators in Western Canada routinely steer multi-kilometre horizontal wells with pinpoint accuracy from a single surface location. Tomorrow’s wells, however, could be guided entirely by artificial intelligence, powered by low-emission rigs, and used to unlock everything from geothermal heat to critical minerals and permanent CO₂ storage. That future just got a $35-million boost. Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA ) officially opened applications this week for the Drilling Technology Challenge, a funding program designed to bridge the “valley of death” that too often kills promising subsurface innovations before they ever reach the field. “Many great ideas never make it past the prototype stage because the cost and risk of real-world testing are simply...

Exergy ORC Delivers Two Geothermal Power Plants in Turkey in Record Time: 46 MW Added in Under 13 Months By:  Robert Buluma On November 30, 2025, Exergy International proudly announced the successful commissioning of two new geothermal power plants in Aydın, Turkey: Maren Nezihe Beren 2 (13 MWe) and Emir (33 MWe), totaling 46 MW of new clean electricity capacity. What makes this milestone truly remarkable is the execution speed , both plants were delivered in less than 13 months from contract signing to full commercial operation, setting a new benchmark in the geothermal ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) industry. Why This Achievement Matters in 2025 In an era where renewable energy projects often face delays of 24–36 months (or longer), completing two binary-cycle geothermal plants totaling 46 MW in under 13 months is nothing short of extraordinary. Turkey already ranks 4th globally in installed geothermal capacity (~1.7 GW as of 2024), and these new plants reinforce the country’s lead...

Greenvale Energy (ASX:GRV) Unlocks Geothermal Potential with $5M Farm-in Deal from Sunrise Energy Metals By: Robert Buluma 26 November 2025 In a move that could prove highly strategic for both companies and the north-west Queensland region, Greenvale Energy Limited (ASX:GRV) has announced a binding Farm-in and future Joint Venture agreement with SRL Hot Rocks Pty Ltd, a 100%-owned subsidiary of ASX-listed Sunrise Energy Metals (ASX:SRL). The deal centres on Greenvale’s 100%-owned Millungera Basin Geothermal Project, located ~120 km east of Mount Isa in one of Australia’s hottest and most prospective geothermal provinces. Key Deal Terms SRL Hot Rocks will sole fund up to A$5 million in exploration and development expenditure. - Upon completing the $5M spend, SRL-HR will earn a 51% majority interest in the Millungera geothermal tenements, with a pathway to a full Joint Venture. Greenvale retains a meaningful free-carried interest through the earn-in phase, allowing it to preserve capita...

URI Embraces Geothermal Innovation: Ocean Frontiers Building to Run on Clean, Subsurface Energy By: Robert Buluma The University of Rhode Island (URI) is taking bold strides toward a low-carbon future — and geothermal energy is at the heart of its latest breakthrough.  As part of the Narragansett Bay Campus revitalization, the new Ocean Frontiers Building will be powered by a cutting-edge geothermal heating and cooling system, replacing the aging Horn Laboratory with a modern hub for ocean science research. With institutions around the world racing to decarbonize, URI’s geothermal leap stands as a model for sustainable campus infrastructure, demonstrating both scientific rigor and forward-thinking environmental stewardship. Tapping the Earth for Clean Power Beginning in early 2024, URI’s Facilities Group initiated discussions on integrating geothermal energy into the campus. After assessing feasibility, the team drilled an 850-foot geothermal test well — a deep subsurface p...

Marriott Drilling to Support Tenerife’s First Deep Geothermal Wells with SGI Collaboration By: Robert Buluma Marriott Drilling Group has been awarded a borehole rig services contract by Soluciones Geotérmicas Integradas (SGI) to deliver Tenerife’s first deep geothermal wells. This landmark project marks a significant step toward unlocking the Canary Islands’ untapped renewable energy potential. SGI, headquartered in Madrid, Spain, and a wholly owned subsidiary of TAQA (Industrialization & Energy Services Company) , is leading Tenerife’s first deep geothermal exploration campaign. Marriott Drilling has been commissioned as the sole drilling contractor to provide high-performance geothermal borehole services, supporting the island’s transition to cleaner energy. The project, set to begin in 2025 , is commissioned by Energía Geotérmica de Canarias (EGC) —a consortium comprising Reykjavik Geothermal , DISA , ITER , and Involcan . The campaign aims to evaluate geothermal electricity...