HN Reader

Cape Station, future home of an enhanced geothermal power plant, in Utah

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Super glad to be a part of this. Our MicroPulse Measurement While Drilling Systems have been used to drill numerous wells for Fervo. We also developed a first of its kind navigation system for the first full scale Eavor loop in Germany.

Heres a presentation we did on the system last year alongside Schlumberger. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kfOGKfEoPb0?t=7852s Potatoe quality but my part starts at 2:10:52.

It’s absolutely awesome deploying our super rugged, super high temp drilling technologies for GeoThermal.

If you’re interested in working on this kind of tech we’re hiring.

5 months agoby Ken_At_EM

I have been following this company and several others (Quaise, Fervo, Sage) in the EGS Space for a little bit now, and I think we are on the cusp of a huge breakthrough in baseload renewable energy. This site in Utah is one of the largest test cases that expands the use of EGS to a much broader area than just a few geothermal hot spots. Prices are dropping dramatically, and these things are moving quickly beyond the R&D phase. There is a world where every major data center across the Western US has its own base load power supply that has essentially no pollution, no footprint, no hazardous waste, and no need for complicated permitting. EGS truly could be a game changer in the world's push to decarbonize. I'm super excited.

5 months agoby giggyhack

Most wells at Cape Station are between 8,000 and 9,000 feet deep, and the deepest one extends a mind-blowing 15,000 feet below the surface. That is about the depth you'd get to if you stacked 50 Statues of Liberty on top of each other!

For those who prefer a less American-centric metric: 8,000–9,000 feet is approximately 2.5 kilometers. 15,000 feet is about 4.5 kilometers — roughly the height of 14 Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other!

5 months agoby filenox

This provides a lot of interesting info on geothermal: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/watt-lies-beneath/

And more: https://www.complexsystemspodcast.com/episodes/fracking-aust...

One interesting point made here is that the cost of turbines puts a floor price on any form.of generation which uses them, whether renewable or not, meaning in the long run solar has a big advantage: https://www.dwarkesh.com/p/casey-handmer. I don't know how accurate that is

5 months agoby RobinL

If anyone is interested in some history, there have been geothermal plants in that area since the 80s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blundell_Geothermal_Power_Plan...

5 months agoby codingdave

Reminds me of another geothermal company Quaise: https://www.quaise.com/.

5 months agoby barbazoo

Geothermal is not without its dangers, as the story of Staufen (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279963863_Damage_to...) showed, but I am glad there is still good research going on about it.

5 months agoby kensai

If memory serves me right, the 2024 Energy Geek Out episode touched on this topic. https://www.dotnetrocks.com/details/1931

If I recall they touched on how US oil drilling companies with lots of experience in horizontal drilling were being used by these companies & the financing that goes into them.

5 months agoby mattferderer

Today I discovered that geothermal energy is a thing, cool! An immediate question that comes to mind is how much "energy potential" does the earth store and "how is it generated"? I'd imagine something about gravity or magnetic waves that move the iron* core and stuff. Anyone know some resources I can read more about this?

5 months agoby its-kostya

From a Bill Gates documentary, I saw research with partner companies aimed at improving nuclear power generation mechanisms to reduce waste and increase efficiency. Bill Gates’ endeavors always seem positive and fascinating.

5 months agoby hexpeek

I hear the voice of Stephan when I read this title.

5 months agoby genghisjahn

What was the power plant's cost? I can't find it in Google/Kagi.

5 months agoby cyberax

Pipes, steam, turbines...

We need better peltier devices.

5 months agoby swayvil

See site is bill gates. Hard pass.

5 months agoby pcdoodle

It's been very common in Europe for years. People even have individual heat pump at home. US is so much behind on new technologies

5 months agoby ericfr11