The necessary documents can be accessed via the official RFP page. The closing date for bids is currently set at 12 October 2024. However, there is a plan to amend this due date to extend by at least two weeks. The due date on the official RFP page will thus be updated.

The F. E. Warren Geothermal Generation Project is a comprehensive initiative aimed at exploring and characterizing the presence and productivity of geothermal resources at F. E. Warren AFB, east of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The project involves drilling a geothermal well to measure the thickness and test the properties of the Hartville Formation and the underlying formations, such as the Guernsey, Flathead, and Pre-Cambrian Formations.

The drilling is planned to reach a maximum measured depth of 14,000 feet. The conceptual design of the well aims to comprehensively measure the temperature, pressure, and productivity of the formations, with a particular focus on the Hartville Formation.

The project execution envisions an integrated approach, with the contractor drilling and completing the well as illustrated in RFP documents. The project will also require well testing to evaluate critical resource parameters such as formation temperature, pressure, and productivity, along with evaluating reservoir fluid composition.

RELATED: Interactive map developed for geothermal resources in Wyoming

Source: Email correspondence

In this high-impact position, the chosen candidate will be responsible for expanding the presence of Blue Spark across Europe by developing strategic sales plans, building strong client relationships, and driving revenue growth. You will have the opportunity to leverage your expertise in geothermal technologies to identify new business opportunities, engage with key stakeholders, and create lasting partnerships that will help revolutionize the energy landscape.

This is your chance to take the lead in an exciting, fast-growing sector. As a BDM, you will work with industry-leading technology, collaborate with a passionate team, and make a meaningful contribution to the global energy transition. If you have proven, international geothermal sales and business development experience with a focus on downhole tools, this role offers an unparalleled opportunity to grow your career while making a tangible impact on the future of sustainable energy in Europe.

If you are driven by innovation with a growth mindset and are looking to be a catalyst for change in the wellbore maintenance space, we want to hear from you!

If you reside in Germany or Western Europe, with a growth mindset and are looking to be a catalyst for change in the wellbore maintenance space, we want to hear from you!

The applicant must be able to communicate fully in English and all applications must be submitted in English.

Click here to apply for this position.

Blue Spark Energy is known for its BLUESPARK® wellbore scale removal technology that uses high-pulsed power, instead of chemical or mechanical means. A recent project saw the deployment of this technology for a wellbore remediation project in Lakeview, Oregon that improved flow by 134%, thus revitalizing the town’s geothermal district heating system.

Blue Spark’s technology was also recognized during this years’ Iceland Geothermal Conference, earning the company an Honorable Recognition for the event’s Innovation Award.

Source: Email correspondence

The signing ceremony for the “Letter of Intent for Datun Mountain Geothermal Cooperation” was held on the 1st of October 2024. In attendance were Taipower Chairman Wen-sheng Tseng, Taipower Chairman  Shun-I Huang, Baseload Capital Chairman Magnus Brandberg, GreenFire Energy Company representatives, and other distinguished guests from the international geothermal team.

Taipower pointed out that geothermal development needs to bear the risk of resource uncertainty in the early stage, and exploration costs and technical thresholds are relatively high. Cooperation can help share early costs and introduce foreign exploration experience and innovative technologies.

Taipower also emphasized that this geothermal team integrates the expertise and experience of well-known manufacturers in the geothermal and energy fields locally and abroad. For example, Baseload Power companies have operating geothermal power plants in the United States, Japan, and Iceland. Baseload Power Taiwan has been active in Taiwan’s geothermal sector since 2019 and is currently conducting exploration and development in other promising areas such as Hualien and Nantou.

GreenFire Energy has forward-looking advanced geothermal systems (AGS) innovative technology, and Taiwan Steam Electricity also participated in the construction of Qingshui Geothermal in Yilan.

“As Taiwan’s first international geothermal developer, we are committed to delivering 24/7 clean energy and advancing the geothermal industry. By leveraging public-private collaboration, we aim to unlock Taiwan’s geothermal potential, contribute to its energy independence, and support the 2050 Net-Zero goal,” said Magnus Brandberg, Co-Founder and Chairman of Baseload Capital.

Tapping into 20% of the Taiwan’s geothermal potential

According to the Geological Survey and Mining Management Center of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Tatun Volcano Group accounts for approximately 20% of Taiwan’s total geothermal potential. The site has also accumulated relatively complete regional geothermal geological exploration data. These reasons were instrumental in the choice of the Tatun region for this cooperation.

With the MOU now signed, a series of initiatives will commence, including the analysis of existing geological data, 3G exploration (geology, geochemistry, and geophysics), establishment of conceptual models, the determination of drilling targets, and the execution of an exploration drilling program. Priority will be given to the introduction of advanced geothermal power generation systems (AGS) that “takes heat but not water”.

In October 2024, Taipower started the commercial operations of the 840-kW Renze geothermal power plant in Yilan County. The facility is now generating approximately 4.7 million kWh of renewable power annually, equivalent to the electricity consumption of nearly 1,200 households.

Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Baseload Capital

Registration is now open for the 2024 edition of the connect4geothermal Geothermal Forum hosted by Geothermie Schweiz / Geothermie Suisse. This year’s event will be taking place on the 13th of November at the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland.

Click here to register for the 2024 connect4geothermal.

The annual connect4geothermal event provides the perfect opportunity to keep up to date with the trends and developments for geothermal in Switzerland and abroad. This year’s event will feature a series of workshops in the morning and early afternoon before a plenary session some of the latest updates on new geothermal technologies and projects in Switzerland, the whole of Europe, and globally.

It is an interesting time for medium-depth to deep geothermal in Switzerland in the context of the drilling work that was just completed in Haute-Sorne, as well as exploration work being undertaken in and around the Vinzel region. In mid-2024, the Federal Council of Switzerland voted in favor of formulating an action plan and roadmap for the development of medium-depth geothermal energy for heat supply.

Source: connect4geothermal

“The acquisition of Geox finalises the streamlining of Vulcan’s upstream Phase One ownership. It will further derisk the Project, allowing for more efficient operations and improved decision-making during operational ramp-up and beyond,” said Managing Director and CEO Cris Moreno.

Geox is the owner and operator of geothermal wells and renewable energy generation assets in Landau, and also holds a geothermal and lithium license over the same area. The company is currently owned by IKAV Invest S.à.r.l (IKAV), an international asset management group focused on renewable energy and infrastructure projects.

Acquisition of the assets will allow for the streamlining and consolidation of the remaining upstream production assets of the Project into 100% Vulcan ownership and replaces an existing Joint Venture agreement and brine offtake agreement with Geox. As part of its wider Project construction, Vulcan intends to dismantle the current geothermal power plant at Geox, increase brine production from the licence area, and start supplying local consumers with renewable heating and power via its Geothermal and Lithium Extraction Plant (G-LEP) to be built in the local industrial park.

The deferred consideration, estimated at €15 million is part of, and conditional on, the Project capital expenditure being financed through the current Project-level debt and equity process.

Vulcan further announces that the updated Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) has been published as part of the company’s Phase One financing with international lenders. This is a prerequisite to raising sustainable or green debt finance. Significantly, the ESIA states that the Project has no potential impact determined as greater than minor post mitigation measures and notes several positive impacts to both people and the planet.

Vulcan has also signed a €10 million loan agreement with global investment bank BNP Paribas to provide short-term flexibility prior to completion of the equity and debt financing of Phase One of the Project. The loan agreement, a revolving credit facility over a period of five years, is secured against Natürlich Insheim GmbH, which holds the Company’s Natürlich Insheim geothermal power plant. These loan funds are not intended to be used for the Geox acquisition.

Source: Email correspondence

Assembly Bill (AB) 1359, authored by Assemblymember Diane Papan, had been approved by the State Legislature only about a month ago. 

Before the bill, the drilling of exploratory wells for geothermal projects had to go through an environmental review with the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) designated as the lead agency. The flaw with this system is that CalGEM was an understaffed division that did not have the capacity to process these projects at an acceptable pace.

With the new regulation in place, county planning departments can now take the lead in conducting environmental reviews of proposed exploratory drilling projects for geothermal. “This is absolutely vital to fill up that renewable portfolio, underneath solar and wind, which are weather dependent,” said Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore, who was in support of the proposal.

Sonoma County is particularly well-positioned to benefit from this new law. In 2023, Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) gave the approval for three geothermal pilot projects in the Geothermal Opportunity Zone (GeoZone) spanning the Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The projects will be carried out by Eavor Inc., Cyrq Energy, and Chevron New Energies.

“This feels like a bureaucratic technicality,” commented Lynda Hopkins, Sonoma County Supervisor and Chairwoman of the Sonoma Clean Power board of directors.

“It is not a seismic shift in governance, but it’s a huge deal for our geothermal effort, expediting the permits. There is currently a multiyear backup in the state agency who would otherwise process these applications, and so we feel like this is a great partnership with the state.”

The plan going forward would be for Permit Sonoma to accept permit applications for geothermal and begin the environmental review. Permit Sonoma is already the lead agency conducting environmental reviews for above-ground geothermal infrastructure.

“We’ve got the specialists in-house to be able to evaluate this work,” said Tennis Wick, Department Director at Permit Sonoma. “We’ve worked 10 years to be able to build a natural resource division with foresters and hydrologists and geologists and botanists, so now we’ve got the right team in place.”

Source: The Press Democrat

Star Energy Geothermal has announced plans of expanding their installed geothermal power generation capacity by 102.6 MWe by retrofitting their existing assets and increasing the capacities in their operating fields. The announcement was made during the recent Indonesia International Geothermal Convention & Exhibition in Jakarta, which Star Energy also hosted.

“By retrofitting and increasing the capacity of existing generators, we are ensuring a sustainable and efficient future for clean energy in this country,” said Hendra Tan, CEO of Barito Renewables, the parent company of Star Energy Geothermal. The total investment for the expansion plans is estimated at USD 346 million.

The details of the capacity expansion plan are as follows:

• 40 MW expansion of Salak Unit 7. This project will leverage the Salak Injection Realignment Program.
• 30 MW expansion of Wayang Windu Unit 3. This will involve the optimization of existing surface facilities to increase the total capacity.
• 18.4 MW capacity increase of Wayang Windu Units 1 and 2 thru an engineering retrofit. Each unit will be expanded to have a capacity of 124.45 MW. Fuji Electric Co. and PT Wasa Mitra are Star Energy’s partners for this initiative.
• 7.2 MW capacity increase of Salak Units 4, 5, and 6 thru the replacement of turbine rotors and diaphragms to improve efficiency. PT Fuji Electric Indonesia is the partner for this project.
• 7 MW capacity increase in Darajat Unit 3 thru technological upgrades. This will increase the capacity of Darajat Unit 3 from 122 MW to 129 MW. PT Mitsubishi Power Indonesia is working with Star Energy for this project.

Moreover, Star Energyy has entered into a partnership agreement with PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy focusing on laboratory services and geochemical fluid sampling and analysis to improve operational and efficiency and compliance with Good Corporate Governance principles.

Before the end of 2023, Star Energy Geothermal started commercial operations of the 15-MW Salak binary geothermal power plant.

Aside from their Wayang Windu, Salak, and Darajat operating fields, Star Energy also holds the license for geothermal greenfields Gunung Hamiding in North Maluku and Sekincau in Lampung.

Source: Bisnis.com and Katadata

Rebecca Nye is the Chief Experience Officer at Enovate Ai, a digital innovation company that supports a cleaner, more efficient, and diversified energy industry through the deployment of effective AI solutions. She also holds the position of Treasurer for Women in Geothermal (WinG) UK.

Date: 4 October 2024

Time: 15:00 CET / 09:00 ET

Registration: Click here to register

Speaker: Rebecca Nye

The geothermal energy sector is under growing pressure to provide accurate, transparent, and verifiable emissions data as part of the global effort to transition to cleaner energy. B4ECarbon is the first comprehensive emissions management solution specifically designed to meet this challenge, leveraging blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) systems.

With a decentralized AIoT design, B4ECarbon offers an intelligent and ultra-secure framework for data-driven validation of environmental claims, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and capital market expectations. This webinar will focus on how B4ECarbon is driving emissions transparency and compliance in the geothermal industry, enhancing operational sustainability and accountability.

Rebecca Nye is the Chief Experience Officer at Enovate and also leads the UK/Europe team. With nearly 20 years of experience in the international energy sector, she has a proven track record of driving innovation, fast-tracking commercialization, and ensuring early adoption of new technologies.

As the Chief Experience Officer at Enovate, Rebecca is responsible for enhancing customer experience, leading marketing and customer success efforts, and driving digital transformation initiatives. She is deeply committed to advancing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives, focusing on accelerating AI adoption to reduce carbon footprints and meet global sustainability targets.

Practically surrounded by these powerhouses, it is perfectly reasonable that Malaysia has shown interest in developing its own geothermal sector. As part of these renewed efforts, Malaysia recently held the first Malaysia International Geothermal Conference (MIGC) in the premises of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Selangor.

Organized by Dr. Mohd Hariri Arifin from the Department of Earth Sciences and Environment at UKM, the event highlighted the research and exploration work being done at the geothermal sites in Malaysia, as well as technical insights presented by international speakers. Participants also took part in a workshop and a field trip to some of the potential geothermal sites in Peninsular Malaysia.

Reinvigorating interest for geothermal in Malaysia

Malaysia had already ventured into geothermal development more than a decade ago, initially identifying the Apas Kiri site in Tawau in Sabah Malaysia as having good geothermal potential. Over the following years, the project received investments and government funding, building towards a commercial operations date by 2017.

Things did not turn out as expected for the Apas Kiri project, with the site seemingly abandoned by late 2018 and the license revoked by Malaysia’s Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA). At the time, government officials stated that there had been no progress in the project since 2016 and that the company had already ceased its operations.

Despite the setback, interest for geothermal development is coming alive again in Malaysia. Earlier this year, a tripartite agreement was signed between UK-based consultancy Primeval Energy, the Institute of Geology Malaysia (IGM), and Digital Geoscience Global Sdn Bhd (DGeG) to conduct thorough assessments of geothermal energy potential in Malaysia.

There is still some interest in the Apas Kiri site, but there has also been a shift in focus to developing non-volcanic hot spring sites in Peninsular Malaysia just north of Kuala Lumpur. Although initial targets are small in scale, the aspiration is to build a first “proof of concept” geothermal facility to help spur more support from the government, the financial sector, and private developers.

“Our goal is to develop any of the promising sites in Malaysia for our first geothermal power plant. It can be small, even just 100 kW. We can start with that, and maybe it can help open the eyes of potential stakeholders,” said Dr. Hariri. “And then we can go for MW scale, or even GW.”

“It is important for us to try. If we don’t try, then we will never know.”

Learnings from neighboring countries

One of the objectives for holding the first MIGC is to invite geothermal experts from other countries to share their knowledge and help empower the local sector. As such, the event’s keynote speakers were Dr. Yunus Daud from the University of Indonesia and Dr. Wipada Ngansom from Ramkhamhaeng University of Thailand.

During his presentation, Dr. Daud discussed the value of geothermal exploration technologies specially applied to the characterization of low to medium-temperature geothermal resources. Surface manifestations in such systems may not be so apparent, so remote sensing systems and geophysical measurements are particularly critical.

Dr. Ngansom also shared some insight on how geothermal sites in Thailand are evaluated and ranked based on a system of positive attitude factors. Aside from technical factors including reservoir size and temperature, positive attitude factors take into account market and infrastructure considerations such as terrain, proximity to market, and distance to power distribution lines. This system provides easy-to-follow guidance on selecting the hot spring sites with the highest potential. It is also a useful tool for communicating with local and national decision makers, as well as potential investors.

The discussions during the keynote presentations were particularly relevant for Malaysia in the context of the Ulu Slim hot spring site. Located just north of Kuala Lumpur, Ulu Slim has been one of the focus areas of geothermal studies done by UKM. Studies indicate that Ulu Slim is a fault-controlled geothermal resource with a radiogenic heat source.

Several other international speakers presented during the MIGC. From scaling mitigation in Dieng in Indonesia to slimhole drilling for geothermal exploration in Singapore, the international experience represented during the event reflected the level of support for Malaysia’s geothermal growth. As Malaysia works for its aspiration of having its first geothermal power plant, collaboration with international experts will undoubtedly be part of its development strategy.

To this end, UKM has been collaborating with Indonesia-based NewQuest Geotechnology to conduct geophysical studies on their areas of interest. Dr. Hariri stresses that there are no local contractors or service providers for magnetotelluric (MT) surveys, making this collaboration instrumental in the progress of geothermal research in the country.

High-potential sites for geothermal in Malaysia

Part of the conference was a field trip to some of the high-potential geothermal sites in Peninsular Malaysia. Located just a few hours north of Kuala Lumpur, the hot spring sites are being used for geothermal research and are eyed for further geothermal development.

The Lojing hot spring site located in the Lojing Highlands is being targeted for the first mini geothermal power plant. A shallow well had already been drilled at the site to a depth of 138 meters, which is now producing hot water at a temperature of around 78 °C. There are plans to drill a deeper well, but a driller with more experience will be needed.

“We drilled to 140 meters, and then the local driller surrendered,” admitted Dr. Hariri. “We cannot go deeper because the pressure is quite high and temperature is increasing. Hopefully, we can be connected with a company with the equipment to support our exploration work and help us prove the presence of this hot reservoir.”

Providing stable electricity to the local community is one of the motivating factors for geothermal development in Lojing. Under current conditions, the locals are dependent on diesel generators for power. “When the diesel runs out, then they are in the dark,” says Dr. Hariri. Introducing geothermal power can also create more opportunities for the area as a tourism and educational hub.

The Ulu Slim hot springs, located around 85 kilometers south of Lojing, is another site of interest. Should the site be developed for geothermal power, it can supply electricity to Malaysia’s national car factory, the so-called “Proton City.” UKM is also working to establish a geothermal learning and research centre at the Ulu Slim site.

Detailed exploration of the Ulu Slim site had already been undertaken by NewQuest Geotechnology with recommendations for further development.

An optimistic view, but support is needed

Groups advocating for geothermal development in Malaysia are highly motivated and passionate, but there is admittedly a lack of in-country skills and technology to fully realize their geothermal aspirations. “Geothermal is still quite new for us and we do not have clear guidelines yet for its development. This is why we keep proposing geothermal projects and educating others about the potential for geothermal,” said Dr. Hariri.

“We are looking for collaborations with those who want to be pioneers for geothermal in Malaysia. We are not good in everything, so we are very open to others with the expertise.”

Dr. Hariri’s group is also working with UKM Pakarunding to establish standards for Environmental and Social Impact Studies related to geothermal development. These are the initial stages in creating a regulatory framework that will make geothermal development in Malaysia more secure and predictable, thus also attracting more investment. Through the help of SEDA and other related parties, the goal is to create a more attractive regulatory environment for geothermal development in Malaysia.

As said in one of the presentations during the conference, addressing the barriers to geothermal electricity and heat development in Malaysia will require concerted efforts among academia, industry, and government agencies. The road ahead remains long for Malaysia, but holding the MIGC has been an important first step.

The Michaelibad project will be the seventh geothermal plant of local utility  Stadtwerke München (SWM) and is part of efforts to make heating in Munich CO2-neutral by 2040. Plans for the project were first announced in 2022. Four production wells and four injection wells will be drilled for the project, which will eventually provide heat for around 75,000 residents in Munich.

SWM currently already operates one of the largest district heating networks in Germany with a total length of around 1000 kilometers. This network will still need to be intensively expanded and densified to implement the transformation plan. The network is expected to grow by a further 600 kilometers by 2040.

There are currently 25 geothermal heating and power plants in Bavaria, generating a total thermal output of around 400 MW. However, the municipal utility is optimistic that there is further geothermal potential in the region that can be exploited. Less than a month ago, an announcement was made that SWM will be receiving EUR 43.9 million in federal funding to support their plans to expand geothermal heating.

Source: SWM and Kreisbote

These updates were announced by Mylene Capongcol, Director of the Renewable Energy Management Bureau of the DOE, during the 5th Philippine International Geothermal Conference (PIGC) held in Makati.

The DOE, along with the Asian Development Bank, has been working on a geothermal de-risking facility for the Philippines for the past few years. The proposed model is for the facility to provide up to 50% of the initial costs for exploration and drilling for eligible geothermal developers and operators.

According to Marvin Bailon, Vice-President of local geothermal company Energy Development Corporation (EDC), companies typically allocated Php1.5 to 2 billion (approx. USD 26.8 to 35.7 million) for the drilling of the first two wells during the geothermal exploration phase. Bailon also commented that it would be a big help for the companies if the government could subsidize costs for geothermal exploration.

Capongol further added that the DOE is currently already in talks with the International Monetary Fund, the Department of Finance, Philippine Guarantee Corp., the Development Bank of the Philippines, and the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Source: Inquirer.net

The auction will take place on 15-16 October 2024, and will be done through the portal of EneChain. Interested retail electricity suppliers are encouraged to review the outline and requirements of the auction at the official auction page. The supply period for the auction will be from the 1st of April 2025 to the 31st of March 2026.

Geothermal power will be sold from Kyuden’s four geothermal power plants in Oita and Kagoshima:

• Hatchobaru Power Station (110 MW)
• Takigami Power Station (27.5 MW)
• Yamakawa Power Station (30 MW)
• Ogiri Power Station (30 MW)

Kyuden is emphasizing the benefits of stable electricity from the geothermal power plants, as well as its being completely renewable and with zero CO2 emissions.

With currently about 214 MW of installed geothermal power generation capacity, Kyushu continues with efforts to explore for new geothermal resources. Earlier this year, the company announced the start of construction of a new 5-MW geothermal power plant north-east of Mount Eboshi in Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture.

Source: Kyuden Mirai Energy and Fukuoka Now

The main objective of the nGEL project is to be able to generate electricity from geothermal resources at 110 °C and below, which are considered to be very low temperatures, and to make electricity, heating and cooling systems very efficient at moderately low temperatures of 110 to 170 °C.

The nGEL Project is a joint initiative of seven organisations and funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme for the next four years. The coordinator of the project is The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, supported by the beneficiary partners, Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V. (VITO), Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Uretim, Geolorn Ireland Ltd., Repg Energy, Naldeo Technologies Et Industries; and Technovative Solutions Ltd. as the associate partner. The budget of the nGEL Project is almost EUR 6 million.

The project aims to transform the geothermal organic rankine cycle (ORC) plants into flexible tri-generation plants capable of both efficiently as well as cost-effectively responding to the dynamic demand of power, heating, and cooling. It attributes geothermal energy as a dispatchable source to balance the power and thermal grid against the progressive integration of intermittent Renewable Energy Sources (RES).

With the implementation of the nGEL technology in all of the existing ORC plants in the EU, around 215 TWht heat can be delivered to the thermal grid. This is approximately 4% of the EU current annual heat demand, corresponding to annual economic savings of €9.6 billion/year.

nGEL is a 4-year long project being funded by the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) Research and Innovation Actions under grant agreement No 101148170 under the call: “Horizon-CL5-2023-D3-02 (Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply)”.

To know more about the project, visit: www.ngel-geothermal.eu

Contact:

Project Coordinator: Dr Shahin Jamali

Organisation: Fraunhofer IEG

Email: Shahin.jamali@ieg.fraunhofer.de

 

Communications Lead: Dr Tamanna Khan

Organisation: Technovative Solutions Limited

Email: tamanna@technovativesolutions.co.uk

Source: Email correspondence via our Turkish language platform JeotermalHaberler

The full report (in German), “Deep geothermal energy for Düsseldorf and Duisburg,” can be accessed via this link.

The technical and economic feasibility study for the development of geothermal resources in Duisburg and Düsseldorf was first announced in early 2023 under the “Geothermie-Rhein” inter-municipal project. The joint feasibility study was undertaken by the respective municipal utilities, Stadtwerke Düsseldorf AG and Stadtwerke Duisburg AG, along with Fraunhofer IEG, the University of Duisburg-Essen, and the Düsseldorf Airport.

In order to advance the heat transition, the state parliament of NRW passed the resolution “Using heat potential – facilitating the use of geothermal energy” in 2019. A component of the state parliament resolution is the promotion of measures to explore and use geothermal district heating in NRW. Three projects were awarded a total of EUR 1.5 million, with the Düsseldorf-Duisburg municipal cluster as one of the award winners.

Results of the evaluation

Gravimetric measurements were made in both Duisburg and Düsseldorf to help identify subsurface layers and significant fracture zones. This new data was then combined with existing data from the LIAG Institute for Applied Geophysics, as well as data from 2D seismic measurements conducted by the Geological Service of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The combination of data from the different surveys allowed for the creation of a 3D subsurface model which can now be used to create 3D depth maps to determine the depths of the Kohlenkalk and Massenkalk formations, which are potential host formations for geothermal resources.

In addition to the geological conditions and the associated heat potentials in the subsurface, the technical integration of geothermal energy as a heat source for existing networks in Düsseldorf and Duisburg was also investigated as part of the Geothermal Rhine project. Different heat outputs and temperature levels were simulated in the network and the hydraulic effects were investigated.

In the majority of the scenarios tested, all of the heat from deep geothermal energy can be integrated into the existing heat
supply. For higher outputs of the heat source with higher temperatures, a storage option is required in some variants in order to be able to exploit the full potential of geothermal energy.

Next steps

With this phase of the project completed, the two cities will carry out further exploration measures independently of each other. These further measures aims to provide more information on the actual existing potential in each city.

The target horizons for geothermal lie deeper in the Duisburg region. To more precisely map the target subsurface formation, the city utility is planning to conduct further 2D seismic measurements.

In Düsseldorf, existing data indicates possible drilling locations in the north region of the city. Specific drilling locations are being determined accounting for geologic suitability, among other criteria.

Source: Geothermie-Rhein

The legislation amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow for new categorical exclusions for geothermal projects, under permitting requirements set by the National Environmental Policy Act.

“Geothermal energy is a vital tool to make America more energy independent and less reliant on our adversaries. This legislation will provide a cleaner energy future and allow my home state of California to seize the reins as a leading national energy provider,” said Rep. Michelle Steel. “I was honored to work with Representative Susie Lee to successfully pass this legislation through the House of Representatives and look forward to its passage in the Senate.”

“If we want to fully unleash our renewable energy potential, then we need to cut the red tape that has been a barrier to the growth of geothermal energy development,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I want to thank Congresswoman Steel for partnering on this commonsense, bipartisan bill to strengthen energy independence and help lower costs for the working families we represent.”

With California and Nevada leading the nation in geothermal energy production, the two states particularly stand to benefit from more growth opportunities possible under the provisions outlined in the legislation. According to 2023 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, California provides 66.6% of the nation’s geothermal power while Nevada provides 26.1%.

“America’s energy future requires an all-of-the-above strategy. Congresswoman Steel’s legislation that passed the House today will expedite geothermal energy projects and streamline development of our abundant geothermal energy sources right here in America. I applaud her for her thoughtful work on this issue and her forward-thinking legislative solution,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman.

Legislators in both state and federal levels have shown tremendous support for geothermal in the United States, with various proposed bills seeking to address common pain points in geothermal such as long permitting times and lack of funding.

Listen to Rep. Steel’s floor speech at the video below:

Source: Email correspondence

The handover of IPB was carried out on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at the Hall of the Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) in Menteng, Central Jakarta as witnessed by the Director General of EBTKE Eniya Listiani Dewi, as well as other members of the leadership of the Directorate General of EBTKE and strategic partners. The issuance of the IPB is a concrete manifestation of the government’s efforts to encourage the use of geothermal energy through the acceleration of permits in the geothermal sector.

This IPB has added significance as the first to be processed online through the Online Single Submission (OSS) system, marking a breakthrough in bureaucratic efficiency in the energy sector.

“The issuance of PT CAE’s IPB is the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources’ response to the President’s direction at the opening of the Indonesia International Geothermal Convention & Exhibition on September 18. This IPB is a Risk-Based Business Licensing processed through OSS-based online licensing for the first time, and is the result of synergy between related ministries,” said Eniya.

Eniya also expressed her appreciation for the synergy between the Ministry of Investment BKPM, the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/BPN, and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in implementing the OSS-based online licensing process.

The geothermal development plan at WKP Way Ratai is 55 MW which will supply electricity needs in the Southern Sumatra electricity system. Development at WKP Way Ratai is projected to have an investment value of USD 212.46 million, with the potential to absorb 175 permanent workers (excluding the absorption of drilling contractors and PLTP construction workers). In addition, this project will contribute to the state in the form of taxes and PNBP, as well as to the region in the form of production bonuses to producing areas and community empowerment programs around the location.

“With the issuance of this IPB, PT CAE can immediately carry out geoscience survey activities and a series of other activities to accelerate the utilization of geothermal energy with faster PLTP operations. We hope that PT CAE will immediately conduct socialization to the community and in the next stage during exploration well drilling activities and PLTP construction can obtain licensing facilities as mandated in Presidential Regulation 112 of 2022, especially in articles 22 and 23,” Eniya concluded.

Source: EBTKE

KMT is a pioneering international initiative aimed at establishing the world’s first magma observatory, providing unprecedented access to magma for scientific research and technological development. Building on the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP-1), where magma was encountered at a depth of 2.1 km, KMT is dedicated to harnessing the potential of near-magma energy. The project’s goal is to develop next-generation super-hot geothermal technologies, positioning Iceland as a global leader in this emerging field.

KMT aims to revolutionize the development of geothermal system by tapping into super-hot geothermal energy from extreme heat near magma. Through ongoing and future research work, KMT can help in significantly enhancing geothermal energy extraction, creating new pathways for cleaner, more efficient energy production on a global scale. The project also seeks to improve volcanic monitoring and provide critical insights into magma behavior.

RELATED: ThinkGeoEnergy interview with Björn Þór Guðmundsson, CEO of Krafla Magma Testbed.

As a collaborative effort, KMT brings together engineers and scientists from around the world, combining expertise to push the boundaries of what is possible in geothermal energy and volcanic research. With the support secured by today’s agreement, KMT is poised to continue its groundbreaking work and drive forward the development of super-hot geothermal energy.

Source: Krafla Magma Testbed

The French Association of Geothermal Professionals (AFPG) has opened the Call for Contributions for the 2025 edition of the French Geothermal Days / Journées de la Géothermie set to take place in Biarritz on the 19th and 20th of June 2025.

Abstracts will be accepted until the 15th of November 2024. For guidelines on the abstracts and how to submit, check out the official terms for contributions.

The event will have 8 sessions for which abstracts are currently being accepted:

• Session 1: Innovations in deep geothermal energy – from exploration to operational performance
• Session 2: Geothermal energy and adaptation to climate change
• Session 3: the role of geothermal energy in France, in decarbonization, energy sovereignty and reindustrialization
• Session 4: solutions and tools for massifying surface geothermal energy
• Session 5: regional initiatives
• Session 6: Innovations in deep geothermal energy – architecture, completion and management of deep wells
• Session 7: Geothermal Lithium
• Session 8: French know-how for export

Organized every three years, the French Geothermal Days / Journées de la géothermie is an opportunity to meet and discuss with the main players in the geothermal sector, as well as with public and private users who play a key role in its promotion.

Source: Email correspondence

The new company, Gran Canaria Geotermia SL, is held by the Gran Canaria Energy Council (49.985%), Dando Drilling Spain of the Dando Drilling Group (44.014%), the Ayaguares Medio Ambiente of the Perez Moreno Group (3%), and the Canary Islands Base of the Satocan Group (3%).

Three boreholes will be drilled to depths of up to 2700 kilometers in a 36-square kilometer parcel of land located between Ingenio, Agüimes, Telde, and Valsequillo. All the partners in this initiative have expressed optimism for the project, stating that initial exploration results have been positive in indicating the presence high-enthalpy geothermal resources at the project site. Located in the southeastern region of Gran Canaria, the drilling site has the highest geothermal anomalies in the island.

The cost for the drilling activity is estimated at EUR 30 million, about half of which will be provided by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) under a previously announced funding programme for deep geothermal projects in Spain.

“This consortium perfectly combines the experience of our local companies in areas such as the complete water cycle, waste or construction, with the experience of Dando Drilling in the field of oil, hydraulic and geothermal drilling,” said Antonio Morales. Dando Drilling International will be responsible for carrying out the drilling to assess the feasibility of using geothermal resources for power generation.

Updates on each phase of the geothermal project are provided at the official site of Gran Canaria Geotermia.

Source: Gran Canaria Energy Council

The project will be realized in an area of 3,973.25 hectares within the borders of ?zmir and Ayd?n provinces. 9.7697 hectares of this area has been determined as the EIA area and a total of 9 boreholes will be drilled in this area. Geothermal resource exploration activity will be carried out at 9 drilling points selected from 26 potential points previously determined. It is stated that while selecting the areas, attention is paid to the protection of the ecosystem.

EIA Process and Legal Regulations

The project is subject to the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation published in the Official Gazette dated 29 July 2022 and the EIA Application File prepared in accordance with the relevant regulations was approved. Informative letters were sent to Izmir and Ayd?n governorships about the process, and it was announced that necessary examinations were carried out in the field.

Geothermal Potential

Regarding the Geological Structure and Resource Potential, geological formations such as various rocks belonging to the Menderes massif, Upper Cretaceous foliation and Tertiary aged terrestrial sediments were identified during the investigations in the license area. Limestone, sandstone and pebble units in these areas, which are thought to have shallow reservoir potential, are associated with geothermal resources.

According to the information in the project presentation file, because of the geological-geophysical studies carried out in the past within the license area, 1 gradient well was drilled at the Naipli-1 location. As a result of the gradient drilling, it was concluded that the site has geothermal potential.

Source: Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change via our Turkish language platform JeotermalHaberler

According to the announcement, OMV and Wien Energie have secured the necessary approval for the project and work has now started on preparing the well site in Aspern (Vienna-Donaustadt). The project aims to provide sustainable heating using deep geothermal resources for up to 20,000 households in Vienna, with potential of scaling up to 200,000 households.

The project has a planned investment volume of around EUR 90 million and has received funding from the Ministry of Climate Action.

The construction of the well site there will take around three months. During this time, the deeep project team will build the access roads to the future plant site, prepare the necessary infrastructure, and set up construction containers. Finally, the drilling rig for the deep drilling will be set up. An information center for residents and interested parties will also be set up at the well site.

The wells will be drilled to target depths of of over 3,000 meters to use the hot formation water for heat generation. OMV is responsible for the subsurface section of the deeep project.

In the summer of 2025, so-called production tests will be carried out after drilling. During these tests, the project team will examine the encountered formation water in terms of temperature, chemical composition and production volume. Based on the findings from these investigations, the surface facilities will be constructed from 2026. Wien Energie is primarily responsible for this part of the plant in the deeep joint venture.

The geothermal plant in Aspern is scheduled to commence operations in 2028.

“OMV is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. Geothermal energy plays an important role in our strategy. With this innovative technology, we are reducing CO2 emissions and countering climate change. We are drawing on our decades of experience in the exploration and drilling business. With the construction of the well site, we are now one step closer to the sustainable production of district heating in Vienna,” said Alfred Stern, Chairman of the Executive Board of OMV Aktiengesellschaft.

“After years of research and planning, we are now starting to implement. Together with our partner OMV, we founded the joint venture deeep last year to combine our strengths. We want to use deep geothermal energy to drive forward the heating revolution in Vienna and to make district heating carbon-neutral by 2040. The construction of Vienna’s first plant using deep geothermal energy brings us a big step closer to achieving this goal,” explains Michael Strebl, CEO of Wien Energie.

“Vienna offers ideal conditions for the use of deep geothermal energy,” says Peter Weinelt, CEO of Wiener Stadtwerke. “We have a large natural hot water reservoir deep under the city and a well-developed district heating network to distribute the energy to customers. This not only helps the climate, but the technology also contributes to security of supply and price stability, making Vienna a little more independent of gas imports.”

Source: OMV

The strategic partnership between Sage and CRC will focus on developing clean and reliable energy solutions in the State of California. Current estimates are that the global electricity demand will double by 2050, and this number is likely to increase further with the growing demand for data centers with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

By leveraging our combined expertise and resources, the companies aim to achieve significant progress in the field of subsurface energy storage and geothermal power generation.

“This MOU marks a significant step forward in our commitment to develop sustainable energy solutions,” said Francisco Leon, CRC’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “By working together with Sage, we aim to develop innovative technologies that will contribute to California’s clean energy future.”

California Resources Corporation (CRC) is an independent energy and carbon management company committed to energy transition. CRC is committed to environmental stewardship while safely providing local, responsibly sourced energy. CRC is also focused on maximizing the value of its land, mineral ownership, and energy expertise for decarbonization by developing carbon capture and storage and other emissions-reducing projects. It is also a member of the Wells2Watts geothermal research consortium led by Baker Hughes.

“We are excited to partner with CRC in California as the organization has a long-established presence in the state including strong relationships with state agencies and an understanding of the regulatory environment,” said Cindy Taff, Sage Geosystems Chief Executive Officer. “Together we hope our next generation geopressured geothermal technology will add much needed resiliency and reliability to the California power grid.”

Houston, Texas-based Sage Geosystems is developing energy storage and geothermal baseload technologies by leveraging their over 200 combined years in the oil and gas industry. The company had recently entered into a land use agreement for the deployment of a 3-MW Geopressured Geothermal System (GGS) energy storage facility in Christine in Atascosa County, Texas.

The company had also signed a Power Purchase Agreement with Meta Inc. for the supply of geothermal power to Meta’s data centers in the US.

Source: Sage Geosystems via BusinessWire

The research project, expected to take four years, will be a first-in-the-world in producing valuable biomass using the emissions from geothermal power plants, and the microorganisms that thrive in the conditions of geothermal sites.

The project will be funded by nearly NZD 5 million from the Tauhara North No. 2 Trust and the MPI. The greenhouse gas emissions to be used as feedstock for the microorganisms – a bacterium and an algae – will be captured from geothermal power stations in New Zealand’s central North Island. The biomass produced can then be used as commercially valuable components, such as for animal feed.

Upflow will be partnering with the Crown Research Institute Scion, the University of Canterbury, and algae experts from Cawthron Institute to provide the leadership and expertise for the project. The research is still at the laboratory scale, and thus far, only small quantities of the biomass have been produced using pure gases. However, the plan is to build a pilot-scale facility (at the scale of 1000 L) to process real geothermal gases.

“Having geothermal assets in our rohe (region) gives us the opportunity to unlock potential new industries and leverage our existing knowledge to create new jobs and revenue for mana whenua and regional communities,” said Mana Newton, Trust Group Chief Executive.

Tauhara North No. 2 Trust is co-owner of the Nga Awa Purua power station, along with Mercury.

“If successful, this could be the start of a new biomass feedstock manufacturing industry for New Zealand, worth an estimated $500 million per annum by 2045, creating new skilled jobs. It would reduce our reliance on imported livestock feed, and decarbonise these industries, while also reducing the cost of carbon emissions for geothermal companies that adopt the system,” added Steven Penno, Director of Investment Porgammers at MPI.

The project aims to futureproof the food supply of the 5-million population of  New Zealand, plus an additional 40 million people worldwide. “We’re looking to futureproof this legacy by providing a decarbonised food production option using Aotearoa’s abundant geothermal resources. We’re making animal feed from greenhouse gases,” says Andy Blair, Director of Business and Innovation at Upflow

Source: Scoop.co.nz

Hungary is among the top five users of geothermal energy in the European Union and has  received 100 geothermal exploration requests, has granted 40 licences and is now making its  first discoveries. “We want to double our usage of geothermal energy by 2030, as it will reduce  natural gas consumption by 500 million cubic metres annually,” said Attila Steiner, State Secretary for Energy and Climate, during the opening of the event.

Global trends evolving 

In an overview of the main global trends of geothermal energy development, Marit Brommer,  Executive Director of the International Geothermal Association, said the segment would  become more popular. 

“We need more political love for geothermal energy […] and we need more people, because it’s  going to grow, it’s booming,” Ms Brommer said. “But we will need more training and capacity  building too and an important part of effective advocacy is accurate data.” 

“There is 1.09 gigawatts (GW) of thermal heating and cooling installed in Hungary, according to  our data,” she added. Ms Brommer called for a tripling of global ambition for installation of new  geothermal energy. In general, the world needs 20,000 new wells a year in order to achieve 63  new gigawatts of production annually.  

?ukasz Koli?ski, head of renewables and energy system integration policy at the Directorate General for Energy of the European Commission, gave a speech on the role of EU policy in  accelerating the deployment and investment in geothermal energy. 

“In the heating sector we still see fossil fuels dominating,” he said, specifying that there was only  annual growth of 6 percentage points in renewables added to the energy mix for the heating  sector. 

Status today, potential tomorrow 

In a talk on the current status of the segment and its future potential, where geothermal was  labelled as “the heat and light that is below your feet” Miklos Antics, President of the European  Geothermal Energy Council, said: “Budapest is a real capital of geothermal energy.” 

“Geothermal energy projects can take 3-5 years to develop, so for our 2030 targets we need to  get started now,” he said, adding that in the EU there are 16 million people benefitting from  geothermal heating and cooling and 11 million from geothermal electricity.

David Kapes, Head of MOL Group’s Low Carbon and New Energies segment drew attention to  the flooded River Danube in Budapest on 20 September and said that “climate change is here  and greenhouse gases are still increasing – we have to do something.” 

Geothermal energy can be part of the solution, Mr Kapes suggested, as part of a diversified  strategy that adds more renewables into the total energy mix. Low carbon projects like  geothermal are a part of MOL’s energy transition, he said and geothermal is particularly strong in  the renewables segment as it is reliable and independent of water and the sun. 

MOL has applied for four geothermal licences in Hungary, Mr Kapes said, and has been awarded  all four, as well as two additional licences in neighbouring Croatia. “We’re planning drilling in the  first half of 2025 in Hungary […] and by the end of 2024 in Croatia,” he said. 

What next 

In an expert panel discussion about policies to eliminate geothermal bottlenecks, Árni  Magnússon, the Chief Executive Officer of the Iceland GeoSurvey (ÍSOR), said: “Where the wind  doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, geothermal is still fine.” 

“Iceland’s history is no history without geothermal energy – but it’s everywhere in Europe, and it  strikes me why we are not using more of it,” Mr Magnússon said, adding that it’s also better for  security, energy independence and also a great generator of revenues across all kinds of usage  types, not just heating and generating electricity. 

Philippe Dumas, Secretary General at the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) said  that geothermal is unique and has huge potential but policy visibility is important for raising  awareness and unlocking more investment. Better training and capacity building for workers and  also easier permitting is needed too. 

Krzysztof Galos, Undersecretary of State and Chief National Geologist at the Ministry of Climate  and Environment of Poland said that his country was just getting started. “We need more  support and risk mitigation, maybe led by Polish financial institutions,” he said. “We can look to the French model and to Hungary, for examples on how to do this, with cheap  loans or financing from the national funds to build a better model of national support.” 

New frontiers 

In an energy leaders panel discussion, company heads discussed what they saw as new  frontiers in geothermal energy, looking at opportunities and challenges in geothermal power  generation and potential utilisation that can meet the needs of the market. 

Csaba Kiss, Deputy CEO at MVM Hungarian Electricity said that the company is looking to  improve and expand its carbon free portfolio, particularly in power generation, but doesn’t yet  have geothermal investments. However, the company has a target to implement 100 megawatts  (MW) of geothermal electricity. 

“The electric grid today is changing dramatically and we are in the middle of a revolution that we  can hardly see,” pointed out Gad Shoshan, International Sales and Marketing Director at Ormat.  He added: “The biggest bottleneck in geothermal is in the first phase, with the resource itself and  finding where to drill.”

“Here in Central and Eastern Europe, we also see enormous potential in geothermal heating and  we intend to focus on that market for sure as we see it is lower risk and higher profitability than  the power market,” said Eirikur Bragason, the Chief Operating Officer of Arctic Green Energy. 

New waves in geothermal 

In a keynote speech about new waves that are coming in geothermal energy, Gábor Molnar,  Managing Director of Arctic Green Engineering, said that geothermal represents stability and  affordability in an ocean of energy options, with other renewables too reliant on the weather. 

“There are many new opportunities and new projects with more advanced technology and  processes that are emerging,” Mr Molnar said, pointing to state of the art designs being rolled out  in Europe and beyond. Cities, industry and agriculture can all be improved by harnessing  geothermal energy, he said, adding that it came with a large initial investment but then low  operating costs.  

Speaking of the company Rotaqua as a determinant drilling contractor in the Hungarian  geothermal market, its Strategic Director, Gábor Magyar, said that the state-owned company  was expanding its fleet of drilling rigs as it targets new projects. 

Mr Magyar also said: “The National Earth Heat Strategy targets to increase the domestic use of  geothermal energy by 20 per cent by 2026, to 8 petajoules (PJ), and to double it by 2030, to 12-13  PJ.” 

Addressing new challenges in geothermal exploration, Richárd Gyula Albrecht, Head of Geology  Department at state-owned exploration company Mecsekérc, said that his firm was dealing with  the challenges of a changed regulatory environment and increased demand for heat projects.

Regulation challenges 

Later in the afternoon, participants engaged in a panel discussion focused on identifying  regulatory challenges and solutions, as well as risk mitigation and financing. 

“I believe from the main risks and challenges […] geological risk is significant,” said Bence  Gonda, Strategic Vice President at the Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs of Hungary,  with amassing and sharing abundant data and research and making access to it open being  seen as a solution.  

“There will always be a need for infrastructure projects, but the evergreen question is how to  attract private capital to the project,” said Dr. Viktória Szilágyi, Partner at the Lakatos, Köves and  Partners Law Firm. “It’s not the lender’s responsibility to make the project bankable, it’s the  project owners job to do that and they need to work on that from day one, otherwise redesigning  and renegotiating a project agreement to make it bankable will be a time consuming and costly  exercise.” 

“Aside from the business case, which is the most important thing to have, the second most  important thing is a stable, predictable and reliable regulatory environment,” said Dóra Zombori,  Partner at the Dentons law firm. “Together we can come up with solutions to make it more  attractive.” 

Big steps, good practices 

Tolgay Benderli, CEO of Do?an Geothermal Group of Companies, said that Turkey was working  hard to increase its installed capacity of geothermal energy, increasing it many times over since  2012, and with 415 geothermal fields it can potentially develop on or expand. 

In a presentation on the main geothermal projects of Bayer Construct, the Head of its  Geothermal Division, Florian Vonas said Europe was facing a “pivotal moment” in which it can  embrace geothermal energy as a “cornerstone for the green transition,” with Bayer working on  seven projects currently at depths of 1,000 to 4,000 metres deep.  

Dr. György Falus of the Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Affairs of Hungary told attendees  that Hungarian geothermal potential has been utilised and exploited for centuries, but that there  was plenty of room for more. Today, the government is focused on maximising usage of its  geothermal hotspots and spas, as well as their preservation and protection. 

László Zsemberi, Managing Director of Z-Renewable Energy Services, gave a presentation on  unique well design concepts and the potential of integrated geothermal power projects in  Hungary with deep geothermal systems. He said such concepts could end up being the largest  renewable energy projects in the country. 

Source: Email correspondence

The full report, “Geothermal Horizons from Cities to Regions,” can be accessed via this link.

ETIP-Geothermal is an open stakeholder group endorsed by the European Commission under the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). Its overarching objective is to enable geothermal technology to proliferate and reach its full potential everywhere in Europe.

“This ETIP Geothermal Vision looks towards the future of geothermal energy development to achieve the European Union’s climate-neutral milestone by 2050, and it highlights the great benefits of geothermal to decarbonise our economy. It is a unique solution to allow a sustainable energy transition with a paradigm shift for a circular economy,” said Luca Xodo, ETIP Geothermal Chair.

Geothermal is a key enabler for energy system integration, bringing renewable resources to the power, and heating and cooling industries in addition to energy storage and critical raw materials supply.”

This vision is a progressive work that aims to serve as a cornerstone to achieve the EU climate-neutral milestone by 2050. Using the abundant geothermal resources spread across Europe, cities like Paris (France), Munich (Germany), Szeged (Hungary) and regions like Tuscany (Italy) are clear examples of the power of geothermal energy and its efficacy in reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels and contributing to local economic development.

As members of ETIP, representatives from industry, academia, research centres, and sectoral associations support the development of geothermal research and innovation as a crucial part of the energy transition in Europe. The research agenda targets the development of novel geothermal applications, which must be tailored to meet the diverse energy needs of European citizens and industries. A crucial step is the integration of these applications into the European energy security scheme, particularly in regions vulnerable to external energy dependencies.

By building “made in Europe” geothermal solutions, cities and regions can reduce their reliance on fossil fuel and materials imports, increasing their energy independence from external sources. Today geothermal technologies do not consume critical raw materials and are built using EU supply chains for equipment and components: steel, chemicals, and cement. Europe has a leadership role in geothermal technologies. Innovation must be supported to maintain the EU’s leadership.

In summary, this vision for advancing geothermal technologies and innovations in Europe represents a breaking point and a unique opportunity to address the climate transition and secure Europe’s energy supply in an affordable way.

Earlier this year, ETIP-Geothermal launched the EGRISE, a search engine that allows for the discovery of research products (e.g. project deliverables, papers, datasets) produced in EU-funded geothermal projects and by the whole geothermal community worldwide.

Source: ETIP-Geothermal

The Indonesian government has declared the auction winners for seven Geothermal Working Areas (WKP) and Preliminary Survey and Exploration Assignment Areas (WPSPE) with a total potential development capacity of 320 MWe. The complete list of winners was announced Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia during the 10th Indonesia International Geothermal Convention & Exhibition in Jakarta.

The list of geothermal sites, winning companies, and corresponding development plans are as follows:

1. WKP Cisolok-Cisukurame (West Java)
   • PT Daya Anugerah Sejati Utama
   • Development plan of 40 MW
   • Investment of IDR 3.2 trillion (USD 210.5 million)
   • Projected workforce of 175 workers
2. WKP Nage (East Nusa Tenggara)
   • PT Daya Anugerah Sejati Utama
   • Development plan of 40 MW
   • Investment of IDR 3.1 trillion (USD 205.7 million)
   • Projected workforce of 175 workers
3. WKP Huu Daha (West Nusa Tenggara)
   • PT Sumbawa Timur Mining
   • Development plan of 60 MW
   • Investment of IDR 3.5 trillion (USD 228 million)
   • Projected workforce of 263 workers
4. WPSPE Koto Sani (West Sumatra)
   • PT EDC Indonesia
   • Development plan of 40 MW
   • Investment of IDR 3.5 trillion (USD 228 million)
   • Projected workforce of 175 workers
5. WPSPE Bora Pulu
   • PT EDC Indonesia
   • Development plan of 40 MW
   • Investment of IDR 3.5 trillion (USD 228 million)
   • Projected workforce of 175 workers
6. WPSPE Samosir
   • PT Medco Power Indonesia
   • Development plan of 40 MW
   • Investment of IDR 3.5 trillion (USD 228 million)
   • Projected workforce of 175 workers
7. WKP Toka Tidung
   • PT Ormat Geothermal Indonesia
   • Development plan of 40 MW
   • Investment of IDR 3.1 trillion (USD 202.5 million)
   • Projected workforce of 175 workers

The list also included the 20-MW Wapsalit WKP, but no winner for this site had been determined yet.

Source: CNBC Indonesia and Bisnis.com

This will be the second Magnetotelluric (MT) survey campaign that Ignis will be conducting in the Bingöl region. The survey will be essential in mapping subsurface conductivity, thus identifying potential geothermal reservoirs and deepening the understanding of the region’s geological structure.  The insights gained will play a crucial role in shaping the exploration and development strategies of Ignis, bringing the company one step closer to delivering sustainable, innovative energy solutions.

The MT survey will collect data at 400 points to assess the geothermal reservoir’s structural and hydrogeological characteristics. By analyzing subsurface electrical conductivity, the survey will map the geothermal potential and fault zones. Identifying deep hot water and steam reservoirs will guide future drilling operations, providing a more detailed and reliable assessment of the area’s geothermal potential.

The region where Ignis obtained geothermal exploration licenses is important as it falls within the intersection area of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAF) and the East Anatolian Fault Zone (EAF). The region, where intense tectonism is observed, hosts many natural outflows with temperatures ranging between 30 °C and 68 °C, as well as rich geothermal manifestations indicating the existence of a strong geothermal energy source. Ignis had been awarded the three geothermal resource exploration licenses for this region back in 2023.

Ignis is working FNC Petrol Madencilik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., a company specializing in Magnetotelluric surveys.

Source: Ignis Energy via LinkedIn

A declaration of intent on cooperation between Iceland and Indonesia in geothermal matters was signed yesterday at the annual Indonesia International Geothermal Convention & Exhibition (IIGCE) which took place in Jakarta. The cooperation concerns renewable energy, with an emphasis on the development of geothermal energy.

The declaration is intended, among other things, to support Icelandic geothermal companies in their continued market penetration in Indonesia and to strengthen scientific cooperation between the countries. Possible cooperation opportunities on carbon disposal and storage will also be explored.

The Indonesian event was attended by representatives of eight Icelandic companies, whose participation was organized in collaboration with the Iceland Office and the Embassy of Iceland in Tokyo. Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, Iceland’s ambassador to Indonesia, signed the declaration  on behalf of Iceland, while the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate is responsible for implementing the cooperation on behalf of Iceland.

The cooperation between the countries will continue in terms of knowledge building, but since 1982, Geothermal School GRÓ has received 50 students from Indonesia, many of whom work for the country’s largest energy companies.Iceland’s ambassador also met with Bahlil Lahadalia, Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, and Pahala Mansyurc, Indonesia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, in connection with Iceland’s participation in the Geothermal Forum.

Source: Government of Iceland

Highlights for Leapfrog Energy include:

• Ability to run multiple instances of Leapfrog on a single machine for project multi-tasking
• Visualisation of downhole survey data to aid drilling analysis
• Attributed mapping data to create better models more quickly

Rachel Murtagh, Product Manager, Geology, Geostatistics and Data Science, Seequent, says: “The industries we serve are solving critical challenges under increasingly tighter economic and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) conditions. Our goal is to help our customers focus as much of their time as possible on the geoscience. The latest update of Leapfrog emphasises enhanced productivity, investment in core functionality and puts in place key capabilities to enable an evolving future.”

The user-led evolution of Leapfrog

Leapfrog’s continued customer-led evolution resonates with users and is demonstrated in the number of models created with our software, says Murtagh.

In 2023, Leapfrog users created nearly 200,000 new geological models, providing crucial subsurface insights for mining, civil, energy, and environmental projects.

“We spend a lot of time listening to customers about what they need to succeed, and we iteratively work through a discover-design-build-test loop with expert and early user groups. This ensures we capture the feel and function that works best of our customers allowing them to master new workflows quickly and become experts in dynamic modelling so they can better understand the subsurface and its resources.

“Leapfrog 2024.1 is a strong release that strengthens and broadens key capabilities of Leapfrog and significantly enhances the users’ experience.”

Enabling the future of geoscience with 3D geological modelling

3D subsurface modelling software Leapfrog Energy for energy projects allows users to build and refine models fast.

“Seequent pioneered implicit modelling in geology with Leapfrog, and we’re still leading the way. Its user-centric, intuitive, well-designed interface and dynamically linked workflows hugely simplify the updating of models with new data. So, we are continuing to build on what’s made Leapfrog so successful,” says Murtagh.

Leapfrog 2024.1 release updates boost 3D modelling, interoperability, and visualisation capabilities:

• Users can now run multiple instances of Leapfrog on a single machine, whilst utilising a single seat. This allows users to work faster, working on one project while another one runs simultaneously.

• Drilling improvements deliver new visualisation and access to survey data. The visualisation of downhole survey data provides additional insights and validation of drill hole orientation to aid drilling data analysis. Features to evaluate and sub-set by geology, drilling orientation, drilling type, hole diameter and more are also enabled. Other drilling improvements focus on saving time when modelling resource grade or contaminants, flexible tools to execute complete workflows, and gaining more comprehensive context for data in the 3D context alongside other geological information.

• Improvements to geological modelling with new flexibility for inputs help users create better informed models quicker by supporting attribution of mapped data, improve insights into the data points influencing the model surfaces with updates to mesh surface values, and provide better control over vein surfaces when modelling.
• Leapfrog Energy is now interoperable with OpenGround, a cloud-connected geotechnical data management and reporting tool, to streamline ground investigations.

Improving interoperability between desktop and cloud

With an eye to the future, the Leapfrog 2024.1 release also includes technologies to improve interoperability between desktop and cloud products, which, in the future, will unlock hybrid workflow opportunities through the new geoscience data platform being built by Seequent.

For more information on Leapfrog Energy updates, see: https://www.seequent.com/products-solutions/leapfrog-energy/

Source: Email correspondence

“The rapid sell-out of the exhibition area demonstrates the immense interest and confidence of the industry in GeoTHERM as a central platform for exchange and innovation in the field of geothermal energy,” commented project manager Gabriele Weislogel.

“With the Start-Up Area, we want to specifically promote young companies that are helping to create the future of geothermal energy with fresh approaches and a pioneering spirit. GeoTHERM offers the perfect platform for this, both to attract attention and to form valuable partnerships,” Weislogel further added.

The Start-Up Area is a platform presenting new ideas, potentially creating opportunities for networking and investment. In close proximity to established industry leaders, young companies can make valuable contacts with potential investors, business partners and mentors.

This opportunity is invaluable, especially for start-ups, which often develop highly specialised and innovative solutions in the geothermal energy sector. Co-operations are formed here that pave the way for new business models and technological breakthroughs.

At the same time, the organisation of the GeoTHERM congress is progressing. The submissions for the congress on near-surface and deep geothermal energy are now available and are currently being reviewed by a panel of experts. The selected presentations will offer congress visitors in-depth insights into the latest research findings and practical developments. As every year, the congress, which takes place parallel to the exhibition, attracts international experts and offers simultaneous translation into German and English.

Next year’s GeoTHERM will build upon the success of this year’s event, which saw a record-breaking number of exhibitors and an impressive total of 6,509 visitors.

Advance sales for combined tickets (congress and exhibition) are already underway. Early bookers benefit from discounted prices until 30 November 2024: The 1-day ticket is available for 43 EUR and the 2-day ticket for 73 EUR.

Tickets are available online at www.geotherm-offenburg.com.

Source: GeoTHERM

The data centre industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing global data demands and the proliferation of digital services. However, traditional data centres face significant challenges, particularly in managing operational expenses associated with cooling systems, which account for a substantial portion of energy consumption.

Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta have already started initiatives towards incorporating geothermal energy into their data centres.

The Company believes that its geothermal wells in Queensland could provide a compelling opportunity to address these challenges by leveraging direct geothermal energy to cool data centres efficiently. Unlike conventional cooling methods that rely on electricity, geothermal cooling uses the Earth’s stable temperatures to maintain ideal conditions for servers, reducing both energy consumption and costs.

The study aims include:

• Evaluating the geological suitability and technical requirements for implementing geothermal cooling at targeted sites;
• Analyzing potential cost savings and return on investment compared to conventional cooling methods;
• Quantifying potential reduction in carbon emissions; and
• Establishing potential data sovereignty advantages at specific sites.

Deliverables will include a comprehensive report detailing the viability, benefits, and strategic value of integrating geothermal cooling into data centre operations.

Earths Energy is actively exploring early-stage discussions with potential partners, including data centre operators and key stakeholders in the cooling technology supply chain. The Company aims to identify collaboration opportunities, joint ventures, or strategic alliances that could accelerate the commercial deployment of geothermal cooling solutions.

Source: Earths Energy via ASX

The long-established relationship between Indonesia and New Zealand was one of the focal points highlighted during the 2024 Indonesia International Geothermal Convention and Exhibition held in Jakarta. This culminated in the announcement of the Indonesia-Aotearoa New Zealand Geothermal Energy Programme / Kerjasama Panas Bumi Indonesia – Aotearoa New Zealand (PINZ).

The PINZ is a five-year development programme, running from 2024-2029, focusing on the provision of technical assistance and capacity building for Indonesia to increase the contribution of geothermal energy and meet the country’s climate change commitments and renewable energy targets. The agreement is between the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Manatu Aorere (MFAT) and the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR).

The programme will deliver its targets within the scope of the following three areas:

• Sector policy, regulation, and planning support. The component will provide technical inputs from geothermal sector planning, policy setting, regulations, and standards.
• Planning, executing, and recalibrating exploration drilling for Government of Indonesia-led geothermal exploration and project preparation. This component will provide targeted geoscience support for progressing geothermal exploration projects and preparing geothermal power and direct use projects for commercial development.
• Increasing geothermal workforce skill and capacity. This component will facilitate vocational training courses for geothermal technicians and plant operators delivered by selected Indonesian polytechnics, from curricula and training material previously developed.  It will also provide geothermal related short course training and group workshops delivered in Indonesia to address gaps and introduce new relevant subjects.

Under MFAT’s International Development Cooperation (IDC), PINZ will deliver NZD15.64 million (approx. USD 9.8 million) in geothermal technical assistance, building on the success of MFAT’s previous IDC geothermal support programmes: Acceleration of Geothermal Development in Indonesia Activity (Geo-INZ), and NZ Support for Technical Training in the Indonesia Geothermal Sector (NZSTIGS).

The long-term outcomes of the PINZ programme include:

• Indonesia’s geothermal potential for power and heat supply is developed;
• Indonesia’s geothermal sector has the skills and experience to meet its increasing demand for technical services;
• Geothermal sector partnerships between Indonesia and New Zealand are mutually beneficial and enduring.

“Across industries and borders, Aotearoa New Zealand’s cleantech companies are innovating with care to deliver world-leading, purposeful solutions for a better tomorrow. New Zealand is proud to share its geothermal expertise with Indonesia, a nation with extraordinary geothermal potential,” said Cecilia Shand, New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Indonesia.

“As both countries navigate their energy transitions, the collaboration between Indonesia and New Zealand is a model of mutual benefit. We are committed to supporting Indonesia in realizing its geothermal ambitions through shared knowledge, cutting-edge technology, and strong business partnerships.” 

Source: Email correspondence

The Dandelion Geo’s industry-leading features include:

• Market-leading heating performance: up to 63,000 Btu/hr and up to 5.2 COP, made possible by a proprietary heat exchanger technology and refrigeration circuit design.
• Simplest installation: A single electrical circuit, automatic flow control, unparalleled airflow flexibility and integrated ground loop pumps, soft start, and monitoring make this unit exceptionally straightforward to install.
• Designed for long-term reliability: Real-time performance monitoring and advanced diagnostics via home WiFi or ethernet come standard with every unit. An integrated flow strainer, corrosion-proof plastic drain pan, and condensate overflow sensor reduce maintenance requirements.
• Quietest operations: With no visible outside components and very low air flow, the Dandelion Geo is invisible to the eyes and ears.

In addition to exceptional performance, the Dandelion Geo’s proprietary electrical design avoids the need for most main panel upgrades, leading to faster, less expensive installations. With these innovative features, the Dandelion Geo is an easy swap for a home’s furnace or boiler, resulting in a streamlined and cost effective installation. Performance monitoring comes standard with every unit.

Dandelion also aims to make the Dandelion Geo more easily available to homeowners nationwide by building a network of authorized installers. The Authorized Installer network is a network of vetted, high quality contractors Dandelion has selected due to their exceptional quality and expertise installing geothermal. Skilled geothermal installers who would  like to serve homeowners ready to adopt Dandelion geothermal are invited to sign up to join the company’s Authorized Installer network, where they will gain access to qualified leads and leading geothermal technology.

“The Dandelion Geo was designed to overcome the top barriers to heat pump adoption by simplifying the installation of top-of-the-line geothermal equipment.” said Kathy Hannun, CTO and Co-founder of Dandelion Energy. “Our mission is to make home geothermal heating and cooling simple and affordable, and this heat pump represents tremendous progress towards that goal.”

Dandelion Energy is the nation’s leading home geothermal company. By making geothermal heating and cooling systems simple and affordable, Dandelion empowers modern homeowners and home builders to adopt premium, emissions-free heating without a premium price tag.

Source: Dandelion Energy

The project has an investment value of approximately 430 million TL and 13 well locations have been determined in 6 different areas. Of these wells, 8 will be used as production wells and 5 will be used as reinjection wells. The planned geothermal power plant will generate 126.4 GWh (126,400,000 kWh/year) of electricity per year, which will be enough to meet the annual electricity needs of approximately 38,000 people.

Once the power plant is operational, the electricity generated will be connected to the substation via the Electricity Transmission Line and transmitted to the national interconnected system via the MV bus of Ayvacik Substation. Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbine technology will be used in GPP-2 and a maximum of 2,250 tonnes of geothermal fluid per hour will be used during operation.

Transmark Turkey Gülpinar Yenilenebilir Enerji Üretim San. ve Tic. A.S. is the Turkish subsidiary of Amsterdam-based geothermal energy company Transmark Renewables. The project will be established in the Geothermal-IR 17/44 License Numbered field located in Yukar?köy Mevkii, Ayvac?k district of Çanakkale province.

Source: Enerji Gunlugu via our Turkish language platform JeotermalHaberler

The drilling of three research wells in Miðnesheiði was started in February 2024 an emergency response when a pipeline from Svartsengi broke and cut off heating supply in Suðurnes. ISOR was hired by the government to do the exploration, and the locations of the wells were determined based on geological indicators, as well as hazards and proximity to existing infrastructure.

All three of the wells turned out useful, but one in particular yielded very positive results. The flowrate and heat from the well will be enough to supply heating to Suðurnes, even if Svartsengi is unable to provide any heating. Thus, the danger of not having any heating in Suðurnes has been averted.

According to Magnússon, further work will be done to evaluate the total size of the newly discovered geothermal resource. There will be more detailed measurements done on the drilled wells while work proceeds on preparing the pipes, pumps, and heat exchangers to utilize the wells.

“This is of course very satisfying, but also no matter how things develop, there will always be a use for this water and we have not stopped looking,” said Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Minister of the Environment, Energy and Climate. “This is a priority for us, there had not been a geothermal exploration effort in this century. That’s why we lobbied for it, because this is indeed a good investment for the Icelandic people.”

There has been some work done in expanding the capacity of the Svartsengi geothermal pow plant with a new 22-MW Unit 7. There has been no word yet on the status of this effort in the face of volcanic activity.

Source: RUV.is

The production bonus income from geothermal businesses in in accordance with the implementation of Law Number 21 of 2014 concerning Geothermal Energy and Government Regulation Number 28 of 2016. The amount to be disbursed is determined by the Geothermal Business Production Bonus Calculation Reconciliation Activity which is routinely carried out by the Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) with the MEMR. It is a transparent process with full accountability and representatives from regional governments.

“The realization of the production bonus deposit for geothermal producing areas is expected to encourage economic growth in the local area,” said Gigih during the opening of the Geothermal Business Production Bonus Calculation Reconciliation Activity for the second quarter of 2024.

Gigih further added that the bonuses paid out in 2023 amounted to IDR 138 billion (approx. USD 8.9 million), and that an amount of IDR 29 billion (approx. USD 1.9 million) was determined for the first quarter of 2024.

The provision of production bonuses is one of the ways for geothermal projects in Indonesia to have a positive social impact, particularly for communities around the project sites. Geothermal operators have also made concerted efforts to improve the communities in other ways, as well as provide livelihood.

A recent notable example is the launch of a project at the Patuha site which reduces emissions and improves energy efficiency at a manure treatment facility. In late 2023, state-owned geothermal developer and operator PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy was recognized global ESG rating agency Sustainalytics for their Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices.

Source: RM.ID

Click here to access the joint roadmap (in French).

Still largely underexploited in France, these two renewable heat and cold production sectors without combustion each represent enormous potential for decarbonizing the country. Taken into account in projects for buildings, industrial applications or heat networks, geothermal and solar energy offer effective combined solutions to gain energy sovereignty. Their combination also makes it possible to achieve inter-seasonal storage of solar heat, in order to take advantage of the abundance of past summer heat during the winter period.

This joint ST-Géo roadmap formalizes the collaboration between AFPG and Enerplan, whether technical, regulatory or in terms of communication, to inform prescribers and project owners on the relevance of these virtuous combinations. While there is a need to optimize the use of biomass energy in line with the EnR Choix approach recommended by Ademe for the Heat Fund, ST-Géo solutions should also be more systematically studied. The work of AFPG and Enerplan will contribute to this.

In 2023, the public authorities published an Action Plan for the development of geothermal energy. An equivalent plan for solar heat must be developed in the coming months and adopted in 2025 by the public authorities. In order to contribute to the latter, Enerplan unveiled the professionals’ proposals on June 25 during the Etats Généraux de la Chaleur Solaire. The actions proposed on the ST-Geo coupling of this roadmap will be included in this future action plan for solar heat.

Source: AFPG via email correspondence

Click here to read the full “Spotlight on Women in Geothermal” feature on Brittany Gierke.

Brittany majored in petroleum engineering at Texas A&M University, where she also earned a minor in geology. Her journey from the oilfields of Chevron to the forefront of geothermal innovation at Fervo Energy is a story of resilience, adaptation, and a relentless pursuit of sustainable energy solutions.

Early mentorship

Over her five years of university education, Brittany completed four internships, three of which were with Chevron. One of the most defining moments of Brittany’s early career was the mentorship she received from Kim McHugh and Jerry Tardivo, prominent figures in Chevron’s drilling division. These women provided valuable mentorship to Brittany, sharing their experiences and discussing career development.

Not only did their mentorship inspire Brittany to get into drilling, but also highlighted the gender disparity in the field. A that time, women comprised only 7% of the drilling roles in Chevron.

Passion for the energy sector

Brittany’s passion for energy continued to grow as she joined Chevron full-time after completing her education. Working on rigs in the Midcontinent Business Unit, she found the fast-paced environment of drilling and a role where decision-making had immediate, tangible results particularly rewarding.

Her work at Chevron included leading complex and groundbreaking projects, such as the company’s first horizontal wells in the Permian Basin. The shift from vertical to horizontal wells was a major advancement in the industry, and Brittany’s role in this transformation was a key milestone in her career.

Joining Fervo Energy

After a 5-year stint in Chevron, Brittany took on drilling roles in other companies before a hiatus when she pursued her passion in regenerative agriculture. Though of a very different nature, this role honed her skills in sustainability and environmental stewardship.

It was not long after Brittany’s passion for the energy sector brought her back to a drilling role. This time, it was for one of the most innovative geothermal companies today, Fervo Energy. “It was a perfect marriage between my two passions: drilling wells and sustainability,” said Brittany.

At Fervo Energy, Brittany quickly became an instrumental figure in performance improvement initiatives, helping the company innovate its geothermal drilling techniques. She worked on enhancing drilling fluid testing, wellhead design, and appraisal processes, all while adapting her oil and gas expertise to geothermal energy

Paying it forward

In her professional career and outside of it, Brittany is an advocate for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mentorship, but also the importance of self-care and a work-life balance. The Thermal Trailblazers program organized by WING USA has transformed her approach to personal and professional development, highlighting the value of collaboration and continuous learning.

Brittany sees a bright future for geothermal energy with Fervo playing a crucial role. She believes that the company’s collaborative culture that encourages innovation is key to driving the energy transition forward. The company’s core values of collaboration, integrity, and celebrating wins have also shaped her leadership.

“In the next five to ten years, I see Fervo as the largest geothermal power producer in the world, operating multi-rig, multi-basin, and multinational projects,” she asserts. “We are proving that geothermal is a contender in the energy transition, not in ten years, but today.”

Past Women in Geothermal highlights:

• Robin Zuza, Ormat Technologies

Click here to access the SIGT° tool.

The SIGT° provides the locations of geothermal areas in the country as well as their respective geological, geophysical, and geochemical data. It also has information available on geothermal wells, geological units, and faults. This allows users to superimpose layers to see how the geothermal areas overlap with departments and municipalities.

The SIGTº also integrates other tools developed by the Geothermal Research Group, such as the dashboard for estimating Colombia’s geothermal potential (with data on fumaroles, volcanoes and geothermal areas), the National Inventory of Hydrothermal Manifestations, and chemical information on springs and fumaroles. It is important to emphasize that while this System is being used, its thematic information is being updated.

Earlier this year, Colombia’s National Hydrocarbon Agency had announced that the country will hold its first round of auctions for geothermal energy projects before year-end. The specific areas that will be put up for the tender have not been identified yet at the time, as this is an element that was still under study by the CGS.

Source: Colombian Geological Service

Drilling in Polling officially started in March 2024 and the first well (TVD = 2700 meters, MD=3700 meters) was completed in June 2024. During this time, state officials visited the drilling site at Hans-Ruhland-Weg 10 to express their support for the project and emphasize the important role of geothermal energy in securing a stable and sustainable energy supply.

Over 50 companies from the region, but also from many European countries, were involved in the construction and drilling work for the geothermal project. The project was made possible by the funding of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA), which is contributing part of the investment costs.

“The project in Polling is a perfect example of how a private initiative with federal funding can be implemented for the benefit of several municipalities without the Free State and municipalities having to take risks,” said Bernhard Gubo, who has been working in Bavarian geothermal energy for over 15 years as a co-initiator of the project.

“In my opinion, the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy and the Southern Bavaria Mining Authority are ideally positioned to develop geothermal energy into one of the most important energy sources for Bavaria,” Gubo further added.

Stif Hurmuz, technical manager of the project, stated that contracts for the construction of the new energy centre and district heating lines will be awarded in the coming days. The necessary building permits for these have already been obtained.

Source: TiefeGeothermie and EWI

During a series of expert-led workshops on September 18th focusing on the innovative use of glass fiber reinforced epoxy (GRE) in geothermal systems, participants will have the unique opportunity to learn first-hand about the project’s developments and discuss their questions directly with the experts involved.

The series will be led by Ferid Seyidov, a project engineer at Vulcan Energy, and will include four workshops. Each workshop will focus on a specific aspect of the GRE- GEO project:

• Govert de With from the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG) will address the critical aspects of material choice in geothermal systems. His workshop will offer a deep dive into radioactive scale modeling and compare future project trajectories using GRE versus steel.
• Ferid Seyidov’s session will explore general well design for GRE tubulars in casing and protective barrier applications. Within this workshop, project partner Drilltec will also present the new GRE handling tool.
• Javier Holzmann (TU Clausthal), Leo de Mul (Dynaflow Research Group), and Kees Rookus (Future Pipe Industries) will complete the series with two workshops focusing on innovating GRE tubular qualification for downhole applications.

For the whole program and timeslots please visit www.celle-drilling.de.

Presentation slides will also be uploaded to our website www.gre-geo.org.

Organized by GeoCelle eV, Celle Drilling is an annual event that provides a venue for professionals from academia and industry to discuss state of the art drilling technologies and drilling applications, as well as case studies. The event is a focused platform for the international exchange on these subjects and related topics.

About GRE GEO

Corrosion and scaling significantly reduce the lifespan of traditionally used steel tubing systems, which must ensure the integrity of the wellbore. Consequently, workover procedures become necessary sooner than expected, which results in a significant financial burden.

In contrast, fiberglass casing (GRE) is a desirable alternative because this material is corrosion resistant. However, compared to steel, GRE pipes have been available only with relatively small inner diameters with excessively large outer diameters.

The GRE-GEOproject (glass fiber reinforced epoxy casing for geothermal applications) is developing a new strategy for well completion. It aims to provide a corrosion-resistant alternative to reduce geothermal energy development and production costs while avoiding additional investment.

The project is carried out from a consortium of eight partners:

• Vulcan Energie Ressourcen GmbH, Germany, main coordinator
• DrillTec GUT GmbH, Germany
• TU Clausthal (ITE), Germany
• Future Pipe Industries (FPI), Netherlands, national market leader
• Dynaflow Research Group DRG, Netherlands
• Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group NRG, Netherlands
• Eartha AG, Switzerland
• Service Industriels de Genève, Switzerland, cooperation partner

Source: Email correspondence

This funding will convene regional data collection partnerships as a resource for stakeholders to develop geothermal energy within a specific state, group of states, or region. The intent is to support resource assessment, exploration, and development data for multiple geothermal projects across a given project area.

The initiative also aims to enhance engagement with Tribal authorities and develop a pipeline of energy projects that are well positioned to compete for support from programs focused on Tribal energy development. Applicants will be encouraged to expand and strengthen technical expertise in certain regions and among geothermal stakeholders more broadly by engaging with education and training programs at regional universities, trade schools, and/or within labor organizations’ training programs.

DOE anticipates supporting partnerships to execute the following categories of activities:

Regional Data Acquisition and Analysis: New acquisition and publication of seismic, electromagnetic, and other geophysical, geological or geochemical data.

Resource Characterization: Support for more localized project development activities.

Data Dissemination: Efforts aimed at increasing availability, utilization, and discoverability of new and existing high-value datasets.

Partner organizations for this planned opportunity could include:

• State Geological Surveys or natural resource agencies
• Geothermal developers (includes both established players and newer startups)
• State Energy Offices
• Energy utilities
• Local governments
• Mining, oil and gas, or other firms involved in subsurface exploration (e.g., drilling or geophysical surveying)
• Landowners (both public and private) and permitting authorities
• Tribes, Native Corporations, and other organizations representing Indigenous peoples
• Large energy users
• Institutions of higher learning
• Community and ratepayer groups
• Military Installations
• New or existing consortia of the above

More details on the anticipated funding opportunity are available on the official announcement.

The US DOE – GTO has been very active in several fronts to support innovative geothermal technologies with recent funding opportunities announced for work done in the fields of wellbore construction, scaling mitigation, EGS pilot projects, and geothermal research undertaken by small businesses.

Source: US Department of Energy

The full report “Drilling for Superhot Geothermal Energy: A Technology Gap Analysis” written by Rebecca Pearce (Cascade Institute) and Tony Pink (Pink Granite Consulting) can be accessed via this link.

The research frontier of drilling and well construction for SHR geothermal energy systems – the production of renewable, baseload electricity by circulating water in deep (>5 km), hot (>374?C) rock – is steadily advancing. However, several key technology gaps still stand in the way of deep drilling in hostile subsurface geological environments. To bring SHR geothermal to commercial viability, technology companies and laboratories must rapidly develop, test, and deploy new technologies.

This report reviews state-of-the-art deep geothermal drilling and well construction technologies, identifies existing technology gaps, and suggests strategies to overcome these gaps. Each technology is given a technology readiness level (TRL) between 1-9, from theoretical to commercially scalable.

Big-picture technology gaps

The report identifies “big-picture” technology gaps to make SHR drilling and well construction technically and economically viable:

• Improve the ROP when drilling into crystalline basement rock
• Develop ultra-high temperature electronic downhole tools and temperature management requirement.

In the category of drilling technologies, three types are considered: conventional rotary drilling, hybrid conventional drilling, and direct energy drilling.

In the conventional drilling space, there are already specialized bits that are suited for extreme temperatures, interbedded formations, or extended bit life. However, no single bit incorporates all these specifications. Hybrid conventional drilling techniques encompass a wide range of non-conventional mechanical drilling technologies including particle drilling, waterjet or percussion drilling in combination with conventional drill bits. However, these are still in the early stage of technological readiness in SHR conditions.

Direct energy drilling technologies (plasma and millimeter wave) are in relatively early stages of technological development, and thus have several gaps to address before commercialization. They are, however, important technologies to consider for regions where superhot conditions can be found at depths greater than 15 kilometers.

In the field of downhole tools and temperature management equipment, the most promising option is to combine cooling techniques and increase the temperature threshold of downhole tools. There are many options for temperature management that can be explored. Technology companies must continue to improve high-temperature-resistant electronics.

All of the technology categories share three overarching challenges:

• Lack of access to SHR in controlled laboratory settings
• Lack of access to SHR in in-field settings
• Lack of incentives for collaboration between major drilling firms

Across all well-construction technology domains, one theme is clear: the technology to complete superhot or ultradeep geothermal boreholes and wells exists. However, further work needs to be done to reduce the overall cost and time to drill a deep, superhot geothermal well.

Source: Cascade Institute

The program focuses on improving the management of cow manure, a significant source of methane emissions and water pollution, within the “Karya Mandiri” livestock group at Alamendah Tourism Village. By leveraging solar panels and second-life batteries to power a rotary dryer, the initiative enhances manure processing, reducing methane emissions and preventing water contamination while increasing the production of organic fertilizer.

The eco-innovation program provides a sustainable solution for manure management by integrating renewable energy. Solar panels with an 8,000-W capacity generate power that is stored in second-life batteries and then used to operate a rotary dryer. This system enables more efficient drying of manure, capable of processing up to 4,200 kg every 14 days.

This not only mitigates environmental impact but also alleviates social conflicts caused by pollution, demonstrating a scalable model for integrating green energy into community-based waste management practices.

Following this, on September 9, a commemorative plaque was presented to celebrate the success of the CDM Carbon Credit partnership between PT Geo Dipa Energi and Ecosecurities. This partnership, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), successfully verified carbon credits for the 2014-2020 period from the Patuha Unit-1 Geothermal Power Plant.

PT Geo Dipa Energi had just recently celebrated the first decade of operations of the Patuha 1 geothermal power plant. The facility has contributed to a cumulative total of 4,602 GWh over its ten years of operation, and has demonstrated exceptional reliability, achieving an Availability Factor (AF) of 99.8% in 2023.

STAWAG has already done preliminary work and now wants to explore the underground northeast of Aachen in the direction of Stolberg. The total volume of the project is around EUR 1.6 million euros. The exploration is expected to start in autumn 2025 and will cover a total distance of 18 kilometers.

“We have been driving the energy and heat transition forward for years with ambitious goals and concrete measures. To this end, we are planning a conversion of district heating: by 2030 at the latest, it is to be produced without coal and in the most climate-friendly way possible,” said Dr. Christian Becker, CEO of STAWAG.

“We are relying on a mix of heat extraction, large heat pumps, efficient combined heat and power plants and deep geothermal energy. We are already using the hot thermal springs in Aachen, which were popular with the Romans, for space heating. Thanks to the funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, we can now go a big step further and have the potential of deep geothermal energy investigated.”

The state of NRW has launched extensive funding programs for geothermal development in April 2024 as part of the “Geothermal Energy Master Plan NRW.” The Master Plan sets a target of geothermal energy accounting for 15 to 20 percent of the heat demand in NRW by 2045. This is equivalent to 24.1 to 33.1 TWh of geothermal heat generation.

“I am pleased that the state can support this project with funding from the Geothermal Master Plan. In this way, we are jointly driving forward the heat transition in North Rhine-Westphalia and laying the foundations for an affordable, renewable heat supply. With the Geothermal Master Plan NRW, we are the first federal state to present a comprehensive strategy to quickly and safely exploit the enormous potential of geothermal energy,” explained Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.

“Municipal utilities are key players in the success of the climate transition. They make an important contribution to building the infrastructure that will make North Rhine-Westphalia climate-neutral. This is precisely what the STAWAG deep geothermal project in Aachen, which we support and promote together with the state, is all about,” further added Gabriela Pantring, Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Management of NRW.BANK.

“A climate-neutral energy and heat source is being developed here and secure jobs are being created at the same time. In other words: This is where the future of NRW is being shaped.” 

Source: Wirtschaft.NRW

The Tauhara Geothermal Power Station has a generating capacity of 184 MW, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 200,000 households and about 3.5% of New Zealand’s total electricity generation. It holds the distinction of being the world’s largest single-shaft geothermal steam turbine generator. Construction of the Power Station began on February 2021 and was completed 41 days earlier than the contract deadline, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sumitomo is the first Japanese company to be contracted for the engineering, procurement, and construction of a geothermal power plant in New Zealand, which was the Kawerau Geothermal Power Plant in 2008. The company had then been involved in two more projects, both of which were completed ahead of schedule, including the Nga Awa Purua Geothermal Power Plant, completed in 2010.

These achievements were made possible by Sumitomo Corporation’s global expertise in power plant construction and over 40 years of collaboration with Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of steam turbines for geothermal power plants.

Contact Energy had since completed a 30-day test run of the Tauhara Geothermal Power Station with the plant running continuously at 152 MW. The power plant has started supplying renewable electricity to the grid at a reduced capacity of 130 MW while the final stages of commissioning are still ongoing.

Source: Sumitomo Corporation

The GEODE initiative (short for “Geothermal Energy from Oil and Gas Demonstrated Engineering”) will leverage the expertise and experience of the oil and gas sector to boost geothermal energy nationwide. The $10 million funding opportunity for the project was announced in mid-2022.

The first-of-its-kind consortium led by Project InnerSpace and the Society of Petroleum Engineers will lay the groundwork for a comprehensive roadmap to unlock geothermal energy’s potential. GEODE is convening experts from both industries to leverage oil and gas industry know-how for geothermal innovation and identify areas for future GEODE research, pending appropriations.

GEODE is part of GTO’s Hydrothermal Resources and Enhanced Geothermal Systems programs.

Source: US Department of Energy

As part of the process, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) activity was held with representatives from the Central Government and Regional Government, as well as tourism industry players, geothermal industry players, academics,

Dieng is the site of the Dieng geothermal power project operated by Geo Dipa, consisting of the 55-MW Unit 1 power plant and the 10-MW small-scale power plant. Plans are also underway for a Unit 2 expansion.

UGM Geological Engineering Lecturer and Geothermal Expert Dr. Pri Utami said that Dieng provides an environment for visitors can learn about hydrothermal processes in a very real way. “I think it is important for geology to transform the legends about geothermal energy in Dieng into scientific explanations. This is a tribute to the ancestors who have packaged the values ??of environmental conservation in Dieng long before geothermal science and technology developed.”

Pri Utami also said that Geological Engineering students from UGM recently conducted a field visit to the Dieng Geothermal Working Area to study the geological conditions of an operating geothermal field. It was an opportunity for the students to see how geothermal resources can be used efficiently, including in applications such as tourism and agriculture.

Yudistian Yunis, President of PT GDE, emphasized that creating an ecosystem needed to facilitate energy independence and environment-friendly economic activities, such as geothermal tourism and agriculture, will require a multi-party collaboration.

Herdian Ardi Febrianto, General Manager of PT GDE, added that the generation of electricity using geothermal energy can be a distinct advantage of the geopark, as it provides a learning tool for environmental conversation using clean and renewable energy. He also emphasized the importance of the human element in the scientific field, despite the presence of artificial intelligence technology, as humans with their consciences still need to weigh and determine actions in line with human values.

Source: Gadjah Mada University

The relevent document to participate in the tender can be accessed via this link. The deadline for submission will be on the 17th of September 2024.

The plan to drill a research borehole in Krefeld had been announced just a few months earlier.

The drilling is part of the comprehensive nationwide exploration and drilling program aimed at investigating the “Kohlenkalks” limestone layer in order to further explore the geothermal potential of the region. The formation has been identified by extensive preliminary seismic surveys that have produced promising results. The limestone layer is estimated to be at depths of 400 to 700 meters, with an estimated thickness of 300 meters. The borehole is intended to penetrate the limestone layer completely

The tender will have a second part, to be announced later, which will cover geophysical borehole measurements related to the geothermal exploration project.

Source: Tiefe Geothermie and GD NRW

COWI in Iceland had recently been rebranded from Mannvit as part of Mannvit’s integration  into the COWI brand and the growing presence and services of COWI in Iceland.

The Hellisheidi geothermal plant, operated by ON Power, supplies domestic heating to the capital area of Reykjavik, some 24 kilometers away. COWI in Iceland has served as the owner’s engineer since the beginning of the project. The company was awarded the contract following a tender from a pool of three bidders, a testament of the company’s capabilities with respect to the client’s high expectations.

The Hellisheidi “Geothermal Park” is also the site of the world’s largest direct air capture and storage, the Mammoth facility operated by Climeworks. With a nameplate capture capacity of 36,000 tons of CO2 per year, Mammoth started operations just earlier this year. Once the CO2 is released from the filters, storage partner Carbfix transports the CO2 underground, where it reacts with basaltic rock through a natural process, which transforms into stone, and remains permanently stored.

Source: Geplus.co.uk and COWI via LinkedIn