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The Race Between Geothermal and Nuclear
Last week the Bureau of Land Management approved the Fervo Energy Cape Geothermal Power Project in Beaver County, Utah, which will use Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) technology (i.e. hydraulic fracturing) to produce up to 2 GW of power.
This marks a significant milestone for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), positioning it as a strong competitor to nuclear power:
π¦ππππ: As a low-carbon power source, the project aims to generate up to 2 gigawatts (GW) of electricityβequivalent to roughly two large nuclear reactors and viable for large scale #datacenters.
ππππ₯π‘ππ‘π ππ¨π₯π©ππ¦: EGS technology is advancing rapidly. Fervo drilled its fastest well at Cape in just 21 days, reducing drilling time by 70% compared to its first horizontal well at Project Red in 2022. This efficiency cut drilling costs nearly in half, from $9.4 million to $4.8 million per well.
π§ππ π π§π’ π ππ₯πππ§: With BLM approval and power purchase agreements, like the 320MW deal with Southern California Edison (SCE), the project is on track for 70 MW of power by 2026. In contrast, most new nuclear projects aim for the 2030s.
While project execution and long-term performance remain risks, the Cape project is paving the way for a new era in geothermal energy. Will geothermal surpass nuclear in the future of clean energy?