Ormat completes the industry's largest design for geothermal power plants

The U.S. renewable energy company Ormat Technologies has developed a design for a geothermal plant that is 'the largest in the industry. It can produce '100 megawatts from the heat of the earth, according to the company.

Ormat CEO Doron Blchar said that the Ormega100 design would double its electrical output compared to the current model. Ormat, a world-leading geothermal company, is testing advanced geothermal technology to power the unit.

According to data from the federal government, geothermal power has been produced in the U.S. as far back as the mid-1900s. However, it only accounts for less than 1%?of the country's electricity.

Recently, however, a number of?Silicon Valley firms have shown interest in the renewable energy source. They are looking for electricity to power their AI expansion plans.

Google, for example, has signed long-term contracts to buy geothermal energy with companies such as Ormat and Fervo Energy. Meta has also signed geothermal agreements with multiple power companies.

Ormega100 uses an enhanced geothermal method, which injects water into the ground?miles and a half deep to capture heat from the earth core. The traditional geothermal system relies on shallower underground reservoirs of water, which makes power production more site specific than advanced geothermal methods.

Ormat is currently running 'two EGS Pilot Programs, which are expected to be completed in 2027. Ormat plans to build the Ormega100 once those are proven. This process takes between 18 and 24 months.

The company has been producing geothermal energy for over 60 years. It is fully integrated, meaning that it controls everything, from drilling and producing geothermal to building and operating electricity plants.

Blachar believes that Ormat will be able to move faster than most startups. (Reporting and editing by David Holmes in New York, Laila Kearney from New York)

(source: Reuters)