An article written by nature.com attributes advancements in technology and growing policy support to the impending widespread success of next-generation geothermal energy.
While drilling costs remain high—each borehole costing millions—experts predict expenses will decline as the technology scales. Geothermal’s ability to provide reliable, always-on energy makes it a valuable complement to intermittent renewables like wind and solar, filling a critical niche where other clean technologies fall short, according to Wilson Ricks, an energy systems researcher at Princeton University.
The article highlights that companies like Eavor could successfully fill this gap by leveraging methods used in the oil and gas sector, such as horizontal drilling. Furthermore, by using magnetic ranging innovations, Eavor can create a closed-loop system several kilometers within hot bedrock. According to Eavor’s Chief Technology Officer Matt Toews, this approach overcomes the challenges of drilling at extreme depths where “there’s no GPS.”
This system operates independently of surrounding rock and aquifers, extracting heat through conduction and eliminating the risk of induced seismicity, explains Carsten Reinhold, chief geologist at Eavor’s Düsseldorf location.
Eavor’s first commercial geothermal plant, located in Geretsried, Germany, will extract heat from 160°C water at a depth of 4,500 meters to provide heating for local buildings. Proceeding the delivery of district heating, the system is anticipated to generate 8 MW of electricity. These advancements help signal a promising future for scalable geothermal energy solutions.
