Hardware Podcasts

Going deep on next-gen geothermal

Catalyst · 27 Jun 2024 · 36m

What this episode covers

Dr. Roland Horne, a professor of earth sciences at Stanford University and leader of its geothermal program, discusses the three main pathways for next-generation geothermal: Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), closed-loop systems, and super-deep geothermal. He explains how EGS, pioneered by companies like Fervo Energy, leverages oil and gas fracking techniques to create permeability in hot rock, potentially making geothermal viable across half of the United States. Horne also details the economic and technical challenges of closed-loop and super-deep technologies, emphasizing that advances in drilling efficiency, such as batch drilling and PDC bits, are critical to lowering costs and accelerating project timelines.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Fervo Energy, Stanford University, Los Alamos National Lab, Shell
Products
IDDP-2
Tools
PDC bits

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