Articles tagged with "geothermal-power"
Sage Geosystems Raises Over $97 Million To Deploy World’s First Commercial Pressure Geothermal Power Generation Facility - CleanTechnica
Sage Geosystems has raised over $97 million in a Series B funding round, co-led by Ormat Technologies and Carbon Direct Capital, to advance its next-generation Pressure Geothermal technology. This funding will support the development of Sage’s first commercial Pressure Geothermal power generation facility, which will be deployed at an existing Ormat power plant. Sage’s proprietary technology extracts geothermal heat from hot dry rock formations, creating a reliable, carbon-free source of firm power and long-duration energy storage. The partnership with Ormat is expected to accelerate commercialization and scale-up to meet growing demand for clean, dependable energy, especially for AI data centers. Pressure Geothermal technology uniquely leverages both the heat and pressure of the Earth to create engineered underground reservoirs of hot water that expand and contract naturally, unlocking significantly more geothermal resource potential—over 130 times more in the U.S. alone—than traditional methods. The technology is designed to be scalable and deployable globally, supporting applications in power generation, energy storage,
energygeothermal-powerpressure-geothermalenergy-storageclean-energyrenewable-energygeothermal-technologyZanskar thinks 1 TW of geothermal power is being overlooked
The article highlights the untapped potential of conventional geothermal energy in the U.S., which experts at the Department of Energy estimate could provide nearly 10% of the nation’s electricity by 2050. Unlike enhanced geothermal systems that rely on fracking to access deep hot rock, conventional geothermal has been limited by outdated assumptions and reliance on surface indicators like hot springs or volcanoes, which only represent about 5% of geothermal systems. Zanskar, a startup leveraging AI, challenges these assumptions by using machine learning and Bayesian evidential learning (BEL) to identify and validate previously overlooked geothermal sites, significantly expanding the potential capacity from tens of gigawatts to possibly a terawatt scale. Zanskar’s AI-driven approach has already led to the revival of a power plant in New Mexico and the discovery of two new sites with over 100 megawatts of combined potential. These successes helped the company secure $115 million in Series C funding from a diverse group of investors. The startup currently focuses
energygeothermal-powerAI-in-energyrenewable-energymachine-learningenhanced-geothermalenergy-startupsWhen Next-Generation Geothermal Meets First-of-a-Kind Reality - CleanTechnica
The article discusses Eavor, a next-generation geothermal energy company aiming to overcome traditional geothermal limitations by using a closed-loop system. Unlike conventional geothermal power, which depends on naturally permeable, water-bearing hot rock near the surface, Eavor drills deep sealed loops of pipe through hot rock, circulating a working fluid to extract heat by conduction. This heat is then used for electricity generation or industrial and district heating. Eavor’s flagship project in Geretsried, Bavaria, began feeding about 0.5 MW of electricity into the German grid in late 2025, which is significantly below the Phase 1 target of 8.2 MW from four loops. Despite exceeding initial project costs (€200-350 million), the early output represents roughly 25% of the expected capacity per loop and only 6% of the overall Phase 1 goal. Eavor’s closed-loop approach aims to address three major challenges limiting geothermal expansion: the scarcity of high-quality hydrothermal reservoirs, regulatory and seismic issues associated
energygeothermal-energyrenewable-energyclean-energysustainable-energyenergy-technologygeothermal-powerHow tectonic heat is providing invisible fire for 24/7 electricity
The article highlights how Turkey leverages its unique tectonic setting to harness geothermal energy, providing a reliable and renewable source of electricity. Situated at the intersection of three tectonic plates, Turkey benefits from geological activity that brings Earth's internal heat close to the surface, particularly in volcanic regions like the Alaşehir Valley. Here, superheated water exceeding 200°C rises through deep faults, enabling geothermal power plants to access this heat at relatively shallow depths (around 3,000 meters), unlike most global locations where drilling can exceed 10 kilometers. Turkey ranks fourth worldwide and first in Europe for installed geothermal capacity, with over 60 plants supplying about 3% of its national electricity. The geothermal power generation process involves drilling production wells to tap hot fluids heated by magma. These fluids transfer heat to a secondary motive fluid with a lower boiling point, which vaporizes and drives turbines connected to generators. The system operates as a closed loop, reinjecting cooled geothermal fluid back underground to minimize environmental impact. Modern plants
energygeothermal-powerrenewable-energyelectricity-generationtectonic-heatgeothermal-plantssustainable-energyHell’s Kitchen: Can Lithium & Geothermal Power Thrive In The Salton Sea? - CleanTechnica
The Hell’s Kitchen project in Imperial County, California, spearheaded by Controlled Thermal Resources, aims to simultaneously generate geothermal electricity and extract lithium from geothermal brine in the Salton Sea region. The initial phase targets producing 25,000 tons per year of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate alongside approximately 50 MW of electricity. This project is notable for leveraging the unique geothermal and mineral-rich brines of the Salton Sea, one of the few U.S. locations with sufficient heat and lithium concentrations (150-250 mg/L) to support such integrated operations. The project has received special federal permitting and secured investments and off-take agreements with major automakers, highlighting its strategic importance in clean energy and critical mineral supply chains. The Salton Sea itself is a complex ecological and social environment, formed accidentally in 1905 and now facing environmental challenges such as increasing salinity, shrinking shorelines, and air quality issues from exposed playa dust. The brines are chemically challenging due to high
energylithium-extractiongeothermal-powerclean-energybattery-materialsrenewable-energySalton-SeaPersistence Pays Off For Direct Air Carbon Capture
The article highlights significant progress in the field of direct air carbon capture (DAC), focusing on the collaboration between Swiss firm Climeworks and Icelandic startup Carbfix at the Hellisheiði geothermal power plant. Since its founding in 2009, Climeworks has been developing DAC technology to economically remove atmospheric CO2. Partnering with Carbfix, which specializes in underground carbon mineralization, they have integrated DAC with Carbfix’s process of injecting CO2-rich, acidic carbonated water into basaltic rock formations. This results in rapid mineralization, permanently storing over 95% of injected CO2 as stable carbonates within two years—much faster than previously expected. The geothermal plant’s volcanic emissions, although low compared to fossil fuel plants, provide a target for this carbon removal, enhancing Iceland’s reputation for low-carbon energy. The collaboration has evolved since 2017, with Climeworks expanding its DAC facility at Hellisheiði and applying lessons from their initial “Arctic Fox” pilot.
energydirect-air-capturecarbon-capturegeothermal-powercarbon-mineralizationrenewable-energycarbon-storageGoogle’s data center energy use doubled in four years
Google’s data center electricity consumption has more than doubled from 14.4 million megawatt-hours in 2020 to 30.8 million megawatt-hours in 2024, reflecting rapid growth over the past decade with a seven-fold increase since 2014. Data centers now account for 95.8% of Google’s total electricity use, underscoring the challenge of meeting the company’s commitment to power all operations with carbon-free energy. Despite significant efficiency improvements, with Google's power usage effectiveness (PUE) nearing the theoretical ideal of 1.0, further gains have slowed, necessitating increased electricity supply. To meet its carbon-free goals amid soaring demand, Google is investing heavily in diverse energy sources including geothermal, nuclear (both fusion and fission), and renewables. Geothermal energy offers consistent power generation, while Google has committed to purchasing electricity from future nuclear fusion and small modular reactor projects, though these will not come online for several years. In the near term
energydata-centerscarbon-free-energyrenewable-energygeothermal-powernuclear-powerenergy-efficiency