(Credit: Fervo Energy)Fervo Energy, a geothermal technology company, successfully completed the well test at its full-scale commercial pilot, Project Red, in northern Nevada.
The 30-day well test confirms Project Red “as the most productive enhanced geothermal system in history,” Fervo said in its announcement. The test produced a flowrate of 63 liters per second at high temperature, enabling 3.5 megawatts of electric production. That output sets a new record for flow and power enhanced geothermal systems, the company said.
The news comes as geothermal energy has renewed interest across the country, particularly in the Western United States where estimated capacity is untapped. Fervo stated that the data collected during its pilot test will enable development in geothermal deployment.
In Project Red, Fervo drilled a horizontal well pair for commercial geothermal production, reaching 3,250 feet and a temperature of 191 degrees Celsius. The company implemented an induced seismicity mitigation protocol, as determined as best practices by the U.S. Department of Energy. The project was completed without incident. Fervo plans to more than double the power output of the pilot design in its next horizontal well pair.
Fervo also inked a deal with Google in 2021 to develop geothermal power, with the goal of powering Google’s Cloud region in Las Vegas with a carbon-free resource.
“By applying drilling technology from the oil and gas industry, we have proven that we can produce 24/7 carbon-free energy resources in new geographies across the world,” said Tim Latimer, Fervo Energy CEO and co-founder. “The incredible results we share today are the product of many years of dedicated work and commitment from Fervo employees and industry partners, especially Google.”
Fervo also noted the success of its pilot testing affirms the DOE Enhanced Geothermal Earthshot, showing geothermal energy could supply over 20% of U.S. power needs and, alongside wind and solar, help reach a fully decarbonized grid.
“Power systems modeling confirms that geothermal can be a critical player in a fully decarbonized grid,” Jesse Jenkins, assistant professor and leader of the Zero-carbon Energy systems Research and Optimization lab at Princeton University, said. “Fervo’s successful commercial pilot takes next-generation geothermal technology from the realm of models into the real world and starts us on a path to unlock geothermal’s full potential.”
Beyond the pilot test, Fervo broke ground on its first greenfield development in southwest Utah, which will fund and inform the development of Fervo’s other projects.
