Ormat Technologies and SLB have entered a strategic partnership to accelerate the development and deployment of integrated geothermal assets, including enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). The collaboration is designed to push the next wave of geothermal innovation and open up clean energy opportunities in areas where traditional geothermal sources are limited. Together, the two companies plan to simplify every stage of the process, from early design work to full power generation, through joint research, pilot testing, and eventual scale-up.
At the heart of the collaboration is an EGS pilot at an Ormat site, intended to pave the way for wider rollout. Together, Ormat and SLB will use their combined expertise to create advanced geothermal and EGS systems focused on long-term efficiency and reliability. Ormat brings decades of experience in plant design, project development, and operations, while SLB adds deep expertise in subsurface engineering, reservoir management, and well construction.
The pilot will run the technology through every stage, demonstrating how it can perform in a full commercial setting. If successful, both companies plan to extend EGS solutions to independent power producers, utilities, and fast-growing sectors such as data centers.
“Ormat is pleased to partner with SLB to accelerate the development and deployment of integrated geothermal assets and next-generation EGS solutions,” said Doron Blachar, Chief Executive Officer of Ormat Technologies. “As the global energy transition progresses and AI-driven demand increases, scalable and sustainable energy solutions are more critical than ever. By bringing together the world’s leading experts in subsurface and geothermal power plant technologies, Ormat and SLB will accelerate the path to rapid deployment of commercial scale EGS facilities. Our collaboration aims to advance the commercial viability of EGS technologies and represents a significant step forward in the geothermal industry. As the global leader in geothermal project development, Ormat expects to expand its development pipeline following a successful pilot and is committed to delivering reliable, sustainable, and efficient energy solutions to meet the demands of AI, data centers and the broader energy transition.”
The upcoming pilot will focus on testing new methods and technologies essential for Enhanced Geothermal Systems advancement, while optimizing integration with surface facilities to enhance output and sustainability.
“There is an urgent need to meet the growing demand for energy driven by AI and other factors. This requires accelerating the path to clean and reliable energy,” said Gavin Rennick, president of New Energy at SLB. “By partnering with Ormat, we will work to make both traditional hydrothermal and EGS technologies truly competitive and commercially viable systems that can scale quickly to meet global energy demand through the coming decades. Our EGS pilot project will serve as a critical platform to address both technical and economic challenges, significantly de-risking and broadening the commercial application of EGS. As a global energy technology leader, SLB is developing a strategic technology portfolio to accelerate the growth of the geothermal industry worldwide.”
Unlike traditional geothermal systems, which rely on natural underground steam or hot water reservoirs, EGS technology creates engineered thermal reservoirs within naturally hot rock, enabling water circulation and energy transfer back to the surface for power generation. This approach significantly broadens geothermal applicability and could transform the clean energy landscape. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, next-generation geothermal could supply as much as 90 gigawatts (GW) by 2050, with potential to reach 300 GW across the United States.