In the clean energy revolution, one company is pulling from a common oil and gas industry technique to make the most of an abundant renewable resource.
Fervo Energy, a startup that specializes in geothermal energy, has started using the same horizontal drilling strategy that revolutionized oil drilling decades ago.
"Drilling is drilling," Fervo's vice president of strategy, Sarah Jewett, explained to Newsweek. "That is kind of the 'aha' moment that our founders really found when they started this business."
The technique not only drills sideways, but it also drills deeper to access a different reserve of heat energy that was previously unavailable. Geothermal energy traditionally relies on heat sources that let off steam to create energy, but the conditions that result in this energy source can be limited. Specifically, the rock needs to be permeable to allow the interaction of heat and water to come together.
Fervo's goal is to create an enhanced geothermal system that enhances these conditions by making rock permeable and injecting liquid to capture naturally occurring heat underground.
The horizontal drilling strategy does use hydraulic fracturing techniques — also known as fracking — to achieve this feat, so there are environmental concerns about seismic activity that occurs when it is utilized. There are also concerns about the chemicals used in fracking contaminating water supplies, which can lead to health issues for nearby communities due to exposure to dangerous elements.
However, Fervo's new use of this technology could open the door to a constant renewable energy stream through geothermal energy, unlike other leading renewables like solar and wind that are subject to weather conditions.
"Geothermal energy projects are capable of providing that 'always on' power," Jewett said. "And I think that's why it's become so attractive."
The company's most recent feat was its deepest well yet, which dug nearly three miles below the surface. According to the team, the rock temperatures that far underground can exceed 500 degrees Fahrenheit, so their next test will be on the drill equipment in this environment.
"One of our paths to innovation we call 'boring is beautiful,'" Jewett explained about this latest well. To ensure its success, they are using the high heat far underground to research whether drill bits, casings, and electronics used in this new application can perform in these conditions.
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The site of the well in Southwest Utah will be Fervo's first geothermal plant, which is planned to open next summer to deliver 100 megawatts of power. Pending its success, an additional 400 megawatts of power are slated for the same site in 2028.
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