A subsidiary of Italy-headquartered Turboden has a turbine supply agreement with a Texas-based group, a deal that will further support U.S. geothermal energy projects.
Turboden America LLC, a subsidiary of Turboden S.p.A.—part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group—on April 7 said it will provide its Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) turbines for up to 35 GeoBlocks, which are Fervo Energy’s 50-MW ORC power plants. The companies on Tuesday said the new commitment for 1,750 MW of generation capacity builds on Turboden’s prior agreement with Fervo to supply ORC units for three 50-MW GeoBlocks at Fervo’s enhanced geothermal development in Cape Station, Utah.
The groups said the agreement also establishes delivery timelines that are expected to enable faster project execution, alone with supporting a more resilient supply chain as Fervo scales its projects.
“Over the past two years, we have built a constructive strategic relationship with Fervo, and this framework agreement reflects a mutual commitment to continued and expanded collaboration,” said Paolo Bertuzzi, president of Turboden America LLC, and CEO of Turboden S.p.A. “Geothermal energy will be essential in stabilizing a strained power grid with clean, firm energy, and Fervo has shown strong leadership in advancing the sector. With this announcement, we are prepared to scale delivery in the U.S. market and add megawatts of new generation wherever and however they are required.”
Fervo, headquartered in Houston, Texas, said it has identified Turboden as a primary ORC technology supplier, and said that technology will continue as a core component of its projects. The companies are currently in the advanced commissioning stage of the Phase I project at Cape Station. That project is expected online later this year.
“Expanding our work with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a key step in scaling geothermal to meet rising U.S. power demand,” said Tim Latimer, CEO and co-founder of Fervo Energy. “By combining Turboden’s proven ORC technology with the global capabilities of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, we are strengthening the supply chain needed to build geothermal at scale. This collaboration will play a central role as we continue to develop at Cape Station and beyond and bring reliable, 24/7 carbon-free energy to the grid.”
The companies in Tuesday’s announcement also said data center developers are looking at geothermal energy as a viable baseload power solution for their energy-intensive facilities. The groups noted Turboden’s ORC turbines, which convert heat into power without increasing fuel consumption, water use, or CO2 emissions, can also be used with gas turbines and a range of industrial processes that produce waste heat, unlocking additional capacity from existing infrastructure for utilities and other energy providers.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
