Months ago, I wrote Geothermal — clean, non-destructive renewable energy. It was about Calgary-based Eavor and the company’s use of unique drilling technology to realize geothermal energy. I have followed Eavor’s activities and noted recent developments, particularly in the Bavarian town of Geretsried.
Eavor helped design its own in-house drilling tool that allows the equipment boring each hole to communicate through magnetic signals while digging nearly as deep as 20 times the height of the Empire State Building. Until now, the company – which is building its debut project in Germany – had been slowly rolling out its drilling tool while still relying on traditional technology to dig the 48 separate underground loops per facility. In a critical milestone, Eavor has completely switched over to its drilling technology…
Geothermal startup’s drilling breakthrough shaves ‘tens of millions’ off costs
One important development is the involvement of SPIE, a European technical services company with 50,000 employees and C$16 billion annual revenue. SPIE announced it will assume responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the geothermal power plant’s above-ground systems. The completed project will produce electricity and supply district heating systems.
The Eavor-LoopTM is a geothermal power plant with a closed-loop system, comparable to a giant underground radiator. Two drilling rigs bore vertically to a depth of 4,500 metres, where the wells are then deflected horizontally to create twelve parallel branches, each between 3,000 and 3,500 metres long. Each loop thus comprises around 80 kilometres of borehole. The fluid injected from above is naturally heated in the lower section of the system as it passes through the deep rock before rising to the surface without the need for additional pumps, thanks to the thermosiphon effect. The heat is then extracted via a heat exchanger and can be used directly for district heating networks or electricity generation.
Geothermal power plant in Bavaria is the first of its kind worldwide
Like those in most countries, Canadian politicians respond to interest groups that prefer to sustain existing ways of doing business. BC’s provincial utility has been designing, building and maintaining hydro dams for decades. BC Hydro’s people have serious expertise in these systems. As a result, they promote the continued expansion of hydro power, regardless of environmental harms. Decision makers discount methods of energy production that are unfamiliar. Political leaders take their advice.
That mostly explains why British Columbia is a laggard in employing wind power. BC Hydro looked at geothermal but decided it was unworkable in this province. Executives approved almost no spending on geothermal development, and specifically, they chose not to support the efforts of Canadian company Eavor.
Corporate inertia is a powerful force. Too often, it is extravagantly costly in terms of economics and the environment.
Categories: Energy, Geothermal, Uncategorized
in-sights.ca 
Glad to see you back behind the keyboard Norm. Like you, I have also been following Eavor’s development. Other start-ups in this space include Fervo, Quaise and Sage. The International Energy Agency released a report in 2024 identifying enormous potential for advanced geothermal. They predict by 2050 that 15% of the world’s energy will be supplied by advanced geothermal and it will be a trillion dollar industry. This apple is just waiting to be picked. We have the work force, knowledge and equipment but our government continues to focus on building out the fossil fuel industry. We could own this industry.
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https://readsitenews.com/what-lies-beneath-9-geothermal-projects-heating-up-canada/
The site above lists 9 geothermal projects in Canada.
…in BC.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) Expansion
Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal Project [Fort Nelson]
South Meager Geothermal Project [Pemberton]
Kitselas Geothermal [Terrace]
Valemount Geothermal Project
… in Alberta
Alberta No. 1 Project [Grande Prairie]
Swan Hills Geothermal Power Project
… in Saskatchewan
DEEP Earth Energy Production Project [Torquay]
… In Nova Scotia
Springhill, Nova Scotia Heat Pump System
The Springhill Heat Pump System is a unique geothermal project located in Nova Scotia, repurposing a former coal mine for geothermal energy production. Warm water from the abandoned mine is used to heat portions of the Springhill Industrial Park through eight heat pump systems.
This innovative project demonstrates how geothermal energy can be harvested from non-traditional sources, such as abandoned mines. Approximately 3% of Nova Scotia’s energy is now generated from geothermal sources, and the Springhill system is a key example of how regions with historic mining activity can be transformed into hubs for clean energy production.
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The high price of Toxicity
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Trump-Prompts-19-Billion-Worth-of-Wind-and-Solar-Projects-Cancellations.html
Will Donald J Trump be remembered as America’s Great Environmental President?
Fat chance?
“Since President Trump took office, almost $19 billion worth of wind and solar power generation projects have been canceled, according to U.S. consultancy Atlas Public Policy.”
“As President Trump slashed subsidies and regulatory support for wind and solar, companies involved in these industries have canceled projects worth a total $18.6 billion, the consultancy said, as quoted by the Financial Times.”
“Investment announcements since January have declined by 20%, Atlas Public Policy also said in its Clean Economy Tracker, down to $15.8 billion compared to $20.9 billion last year.”
“The radical change in federal government attitudes towards the wind and solar industries has already shaken them, causing bankruptcies and stock price slumps. In the case of Danish wind turbine major Orsted, that change contributed significantly to a government bailout in the form of a rights issue worth close to $10 billion.”
“The report from Atlas Public Policy comes on the heels of a fresh threat by President Trump, who said earlier this week that his administration will no longer approve wind and solar projects.”
“Any State that has built and relied on WINDMILLS and SOLAR for power are seeing RECORD BREAKING INCREASES IN ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY COSTS. THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY! We will not approve wind or farmer destroying Solar. The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!! MAGA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.”
A word about OILPRICE. And why I’ve consulted the blog.
While former BC Premier Christy Clark was boasting that “China is desperate for our LNG.” Oilprice was publishing stats on a global LNG glut, listing top competitors, while demolishing the idea that China was in any manner, desperate..
The bad news for Canada, if not the US continues. There’s still a supply glut. And?
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/US-LNG-Record-Exports-Rising-Prices-and-a-Looming-Problem.html
“Reuters this week reported, citing LSEG data, that natural gas production in the Lower 48 had gone up to 108.1 billion cu ft daily since the start of August, breaking the record it set in July, at 107.9 billion cu ft. However, demand for this gas is higher, at 111.9 billion cu ft this week, per the LSEG data. This means that supply is, indeed, catching up with demand. At least it should be, but there is a problem. Pipelines.”
“There have been warnings before from industry executives that gas export growth needs new pipelines to help bring the commodity from the field to the LNG trains. The latest to issue those warnings was Cheniere Energy, the U.S. number-one LNG exporter.”
“It’s not about the availability of gas, it’s about transportation,” Singh said. “How are we actually going to get it there?” Cheniere’s vice president and general manager of the company’s Corpus Christi facility said this week at an industry event. There are about half a dozen new liquefaction facilities currently under construction on the Gulf Coast, but construction of new pipelines is nowhere near a match for this rate of liquefaction capacity growth, as suggested by Cheniere’s Singh. “It’ll be fascinating to see, depending on where these facilities are, how they’re going to be able to get the volume that they need,” she said, adding that “You’re going to need some large lines that are going interstate to be able to do that.”
While President Trump is busy using an axe against as many green energy projects as possible the rest of the planet is not following suit. Why? Cost of green energy has plummeted.
What Economics 101 predicts? The higher the volume of sales the more the price declines. Except for the fossil fuel business. Which despite high sales remains Ineleastic in price.
And the product is? Toxic…
Go figure.
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