Energy Startup Says It Has Achieved Geothermal Tech Breakthrough
An enhanced geothermal system expands the range of sites able to be tapped for geothermal energy, and Fervo’s demo is the first time a company has shown it can be done on this kind of commercial scale.
Project Red, Fervo Energy’s full-scale commercial pilot project in northern Nevada.
Source: Fervo EnergyIn a landmark step for enhanced geothermal technology’s potential as a dependable carbon-free energy source, startup Fervo Energy has completed a performance demonstration of its commercial pilot.
The Houston-based company wrapped up a full-scale, 30-day well test at its Project Red site in northern Nevada, which was able to generate 3.5 megawatts of electricity, according to a company statement. (One megawatt can power roughly 750 homes at once.) Project Red will connect to the grid later this year and power Google's data centers and infrastructure throughout Nevada. It’s a part of the corporate agreement between the startup and Alphabet Inc.’s Google to develop enhanced geothermal systems.