Latest News

• Region: North America
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 11th September 2026

Geothermal energy company, Dig Energy, has broken ground and completed its first paid commercial installation: geothermal heating and cooling at Sulfolk’s 100MAG, and AI and innovation hub in Boston.

• Region: North America
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 11th September 2026

The US Department of Energy’s Office of Geothermal has announced a US$300,000 Geologic Enhanced Mapping System (GEMS) Prize to help identify hidden geothermal systems in a big to prioritise efforts to accurate the ongoing geological mapping of the US.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 9th September 2026

Irish MEP Seán Kelly says Ireland must stop talking about its geothermal potential and start delivering projects, arguing that implementation of the country’s geothermal policy has already taken too long.

A keynote speaker at the European Geothermal District Heating & Cooling Conference held in Dublin this month, he highlighted the geopolitical pressures and broad industry context that had heightened the urgency for geothermal energy.

“More than 90% of Irish heat demand was still being met by fossil fuels in 2024, with renewables accounting for only 7.9% of heat consumption,” he said.

“We are very exposed and vulnerable.”Geothermal energy could provide a solution, he said, referencing the publication of the European Commission’s new Electrification Action Plan, which he described as “one of the most consequential pieces of European energy policy in this Commission’s mandate.”

In his full speech, posted to the website of the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC), Kelly said there is a “great opportunity” for Ireland to learn from the experiences of other European countries to advance its own geothermal sector.

“There are lessons from projects that succeeded and from those that did not, and there is a great opportunity for Ireland to learn from that experience and apply it rapidly at home,” he told the conference.

Kelly also flagged Ireland’s 2023 geothermal policy that has not yet been fully implemented.

“An opportunity is nothing without action,” he said.

“Three years is too long for a policy statement on a valuable indigenous energy resource to be sitting on a shelf awaiting full implementation, particularly when the geopolitical context has changed so dramatically around us.”

Kelly said that every major new public building and significant public-sector heating retrofit should at least be asking the question: has geothermal been properly assessed?

“We need to put in place the required frameworks and supports to get this sector moving.”

Amid lofty ambitions, both from the European Commission and in Dublin, he urged for great action.

“We need to show ambition here and deliver.”

• Region: North America
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 8th September 2026

The Nevis geothermal project is moving ahead, with the drill rig that will be used to develop the island’s energy resources undergoing final inspection in Iceland ahead of mobilisation to the Caribbean island.

Iceland Drilling has been tasked with the drilling work after signing a contract with Nevis Electricity Company (Nevlec) back in April this year.

Premier of Nevis and Minister of Energy in the Nevis Island Administration, Mark Brantley, said in late August that the inspection work represents the final major step before the rig is transported to the project site.

“The final pre-condition for mobilisation of the drill rig to Nevis is an inspection of that drill rig, and that inspection is currently underway in Iceland,” he said.

The inspection work is being conducted by Scotia Drilling Consultants, a UK-based company, and is focused on the rig’s structural, mechanical, operational and safety systems.

Brantley said completion of the inspection will clear the way for the next stage of the project.

“Once this drill rig inspection is completed, then it would mean that we have now done all that is necessary in order to move this to the next phase, which is the actual mobilisation of the rig to the island of Nevis.”

Mobilisation of the rig and other heavy equipment is expected to take place throughout September and October, with work on the first well scheduled to begin by the end of the year.

The 272-metric-tonne Drillmec HH-300 ‘Týr’ rig is expected to drill five geothermal wells at the Hamilton geothermal site.

Technical work is also underway in Nevis at the project site to prepare for the arrival of the rig and the commencement of drilling.

“Civil works for the well pad will be done by a company called COWI and that too is a company from Iceland and that company will be supervised by Iceland Drilling,” said Brantley.

The development of the geothermal wells is a critical component of a wider project which is intended to harness Nevis’ indigenous geothermal resource for electricity generation.

The planned 30-megawatt power plant would use the geothermal resource to generate clean, renewable electricity, reducing Nevis and St. Kitts’ dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthening the Federation’s energy security.

• Region: North America
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 4th September 2026

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the Geothermal Centre of Excellence (Geothermal CoE) as part of broader efforts to fast-track the sector’s development.

Its goal, the DOE said in a statement, is to help connect industry to the national laboratories, drive innovation in geothermal technologies, enhance inter-laboratory collaboration and expand geothermal deployment throughout the country.

The new centre was unveiled on 3rd September, 2026 by DOE Under Secretary Kyle Haustveit, alongside leadership from DOE’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO), the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

It will be located on NLR’s campus in Golden, Colorado, and operate under the oversight and direction of HGEO, NLR and NETL.

At the launch event, DOE leadership emphasised the importance of the CoE in achieving its goal to accelerate the discovery and development of gigawatt-scale geothermal energy and position geothermal as a competitive domestic source for reliable baseload electricity generation.

HGEO’s Office of Geothermal also discussed current office research, development and demonstration, highlighting how the CoE and its collaborations will augment and build on the Office’s initiatives.

“The United States leads the world in geothermal electricity-generating capacity at just over 4 gigawatts (GW) — however, the nation is tapping only a fraction of its total potential,” a DOE statement noted.

DOE-funded analysis indicates the possibility of significantly more geothermal power, as much as 300 GW or more with technology and policy advances.

It added that cost-competitive geothermal would offer a much-needed source of firm, flexible electricity across the country.

“Expanding domestic generation is a crucial part of President Trump’s agenda and the Secretary’s mandate to advance energy addition and restore American energy dominance,” it noted.

“Adding affordable, reliable energy like that from geothermal is also crucial to support human possibility throughout the world and meet the needs of data centres, industry and communities.”

It said that the Geothermal CoE will help realise DOE’s goals to expand geothermal power by driving innovation and serving as industry’s main entry point to the national laboratories and their range of technical and analytical expertise.

An industry advisory board will provide objective insight into industry-relevant geothermal research needs, accelerate industry-lab partnerships, and advise on the centre’s priorities.

The DOE also highlighted the increasing overlap with the nation’s oil and gas industry.

“Techniques from oil and gas as well as new innovations are helping the United States tap into more of its vast heat resources. At the same time, technical challenges remain to fully realise geothermal’s potential,” the statement noted.

“Geothermal environments are hotter and harsher than oil and gas, so new components and tools are needed for geothermal. In addition, the geothermal industry currently drills a relatively small number of wells per year, and there’s a dearth of data about how enhanced geothermal systems perform over time.

“Research and data are important to de-risk technologies, help projects gain access to capital, and help offtakers and utilities better understand how to integrate geothermal energy."

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 4th September 2026

As the energy transition advances, demand is growing for critical minerals such as lithium, a key element for electric vehicles and energy storage-battery applications.
The UK government has set a target of meeting 10% of the UK’s critical mineral demands from domestic production by 2035, including at least 50,000 tons of lithium carbonate.

Significant development

A significant development towards meeting this target has come with the announcement from Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL), a leading geothermal developer in the UK, that its lithium carbonate produced from deep geothermal brine now exceeds the 99.3% purity specification and can be classified as ‘technical grade’ material. This means that it meets the purity requirements for battery producers without the need for further refining. Technical Grade lithium carbonate is traded internationally, including through markets such as the Shanghai Metals Market, and GEL hopes to become a leader in Europe’s emerging lithium industry. Its plant has a production capacity of 100 tonnes of lithium carbononate per annum.

GEL’s United Downs deep geothermal project is the first geothermal power plant in the UK, and is funded by a mixture of public and private funds. The aim of the project is to produce power and heat from the hot granite rocks beneath Cornwall at the United Downs Industrial Site near Redruth, Cornwall. The site contains the hottest and deepest onshore well in the UK, measuring a total depth of 5,057m. GEL has discovered high concentrations of lithium in the geothermal waters at their United Downs site.

Production at the United Downs site is forecasted to hit around 2,000 tonnes per annum by 2029. As other sites are added, the anticipated total production from GEL will increase to 30,000 tonnes per annum by 2033, meeting over 60% of the UK’s lithium target alone.

Step forward

Meeting the internationally recognised purity specification represents a significant step forward for GEL, as it

• demonstrates the company’s ability to produce high-purity lithium carbonate at commercial scale
• brings the UK one step closer to establishing a domestic supply of battery-critical lithium materials
• scores high highly in terms of sustainability, due to combining lithium  production with geothermal electricity production.

Dr Ryan Law, CEO of GEL, said, “Producing lithium carbonate that exceeds the purity specification for Technical Grade material is a major milestone for GEL and an important validation of our technology. We are demonstrating that it is possible to produce a high-quality, saleable lithium product in the UK with the highest environmental standards, creating the potential for a more secure and sustainable domestic supply of this critical battery material. This achievement marks an important step in our journey from pioneering technological development to large scale production.”

Julian Hetherington MBE, director of Automotive Transformation at the APC, delivering the UK government’s Driving Research & Investment in Vehicle Electrification programme, DRIVE35, said, “United Downs shows the huge opportunity the UK has to build a domestic supply of lithium carbonate in a sustainable way. It will strengthen the UK’s critical minerals supply chain and reindustrialise the country. DRIVE 35 is proud to have supported the project with a £1.8 million grant through our Automotive Transformation Fund, to help reach this important milestone.”

• Region: North America
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 4th September 2026

The global pioneer of next-generation geothermal energy, Fervo Energy, has announced a 396MW power purchase agreement with Google for the continued development of the Cape Station EGS GeoCluster, which is expected to come online in 2028.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 3rd September 2026

A subsidiary of the TÜV NORD GROUP, DMT, has begun a 3D seismic survey on behalf of Stadtwerke München to investigate the deep subsurface, with the collected data aiming to provide a three-dimensional image of the area to form the geological basis for further development of deep geothermal energy in Munich. 

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 3rd September 2026

Research consultancy Ecorys has outlined its work on a new European Union (EU) study which maps geothermal energy regulation, permitting and financing across member states.

It work played a part informing the European Commission’s Geothermal Action Plan as part of the Heating and Cooling Strategy.

The Ecorys study examined geothermal regulation, permitting, data availability and financing across the EU, with insights from Iceland, Turkey, Canada and the USA.“Geothermal energy is one of Europe’s most underused renewable resources, offering stable, low-carbon heating, cooling and power generation — yet fragmented regulation, permitting and financing across member states continue to hold back deployment,” the consultancy posted in an update on its website.

The work also charts the long history of geothermal energy in Europe, from the 14th-century district heating system in Chaudes-Aigues, France, to the world’s first geothermal power plant in Larderello, Italy, operating since 1913.

“Despite this legacy, geothermal still contributes only around 0.2% of EU electricity and 0.7% of heat supply today, even though geological assessments point to far greater untapped potential, including over 300 TWh per year of heat production potential in Germany alone,” the consultancy added.

Realising this potential, it noted, depends on overcoming the regulatory, permitting and financing barriers that vary widely across member states.

Key findings from its work include:

• Geothermal regulation is highly fragmented across the EU, with significant differences in legal frameworks, governance structures, and permitting requirements between member states.

• Permitting is a major barrier, particularly for deep geothermal projects, due to lengthy, complex, multi-authority processes, limited administrative expertise, and inconsistent application of environmental assessments.

• Data availability and accessibility remain uneven, with fragmented standards, confidentiality restrictions, and limited administrative capacity increasing exploration risk and investment uncertainty.

• Financial support is scarce, especially for deep geothermal projects, where dedicated risk-sharing mechanisms for exploration and drilling risks are still rare.

• Ownership structures differ by depth and application. Shallow geothermal systems are typically privately financed by building owners, while deep geothermal heat projects are more often structured as municipal initiatives or public–private partnerships.

• Demand-side challenges constrain investment, including dependence on district heating networks and difficulties securing a stable customer base during project development.

• Projects anchored by one or a few large off-takers (for example, agricultural or industrial) or combined with other revenue streams such as lithium or mineral extraction, are better positioned to overcome this demand risk.

• Key best practices include streamlined and differentiated permitting, and centralised digital information tools such as geothermal portals, permitting maps, and zoning systems.

• Region: North America
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 28th August 2026

Quaise Energy has announced the final close of its Series B financing, raising a total of US$180mn in equity — a further signal of the influx of capital into geothermal energy in the USA.

The Series B round brings Quaise’s total funding to date to US$280mn.

The proceeds will fund Project Obsidian, the world’s first commercial superhot geothermal power plant, and accelerate the commercialisation of Quaise's millimetre wave drilling system toward depths in excess of 5 km.

The latest funding round also includes a US$35mn investment from international land drilling contractor, Nabors Industries.

As well as funding, Nabors Industries has entered into a strategic framework agreement that supports Quaise’s mission to make superhot geothermal a commercial reality, beginning with the development of the flagship Project Obsidian.

“We are unlocking the most powerful clean energy source on Earth, and the Series B signals deep conviction across a wide range of investors,” said Carlos Araque, CEO and President, Quaise Energy.

“Nabors is an invaluable partner as we move millimetre wave drilling to full commercial operations at Project Obsidian and beyond.”

Key highlights:

• Final close of Series B to advance the commercialisation of superhot geothermal energy, funding Project Obsidian and the continued development of Quaise’s millimetre wave drilling system

• Nabors Industries and Quaise deepen relationship with strategic framework agreement spanning drilling operations, technology integration and commercial development

• Series B brings Quaise's total funding to date to $280 million

Drilling expertise

Nabors’ investment builds on an existing relationship with the company, and the strategic framework agreement spans drilling operations, technology integration and commercial development.

It gives Quaise access to a dedicated land rig and Nabors’ advanced platform that integrates reservoir modelling, well design and drilling strategy.

As its drilling programme advances, shared data and operational experience are expected to enhance drilling performance, reduce costs, and expedite the project timeline.

“Superhot geothermal has the potential to make clean energy ubiquitous. That is why we are excited about our close relationship with Quaise,” said Anthony G. Petrello, Chairman, President and CEO, Nabors Industries.

“Quaise’s millimetre wave technology changes the equation entirely by reaching superhot rock at temperatures and depths that are inaccessible with conventional drilling, transforming geothermal from a location-dependent resource into a global energy solution. Combined with Nabors’ drilling expertise and infrastructure, we see a path to gigawatt-scale geothermal power that no other company can offer today.”

Capital inflows 

The financing is the latest in a string of sizeable investments backing the development of next-generation geothermal technologies in the US, as investors increasingly look to the sector as a source of reliable, around-the-clock clean power.

The growing flow of private capital is also helping move geothermal beyond early-stage technology development and towards commercial-scale projects.

The Series B round's first close, announced in July 2026, was led by Prelude Ventures, with strategic investments from JERA Co., Inc. and Idemitsu Kosan, two of Japan's largest energy companies.

BofA Securities and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC advised on the fundraise.

• Region: Asia Pacifc
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 27th August 2026

The Asia Pacific Geothermal Energy Market was valued at US$4,977.3mn in 2025 and projected to reach to US$6,692.1mn by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 6.1%, according to a recent report from Market and Markets.

Sustained expansion

According to the report, Asia Pacific's geothermal energy market is poised for sustained expansion driven by:

• rising demand for baseload power, with growing industrial and residential energy needs
• energy diversification initiatives and climate commitments
• technological innovation, with the adoption of advanced drilling technologies and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)
• supportive regulatory frameworks
• substantial government investments in renewable infrastructure.

Asia Pacific's geothermal energy market benefits from abundant geothermal resources, particularly around the Pacific Ring of Fire, a chain of volcanoes and seismically active sites spanning around 25,000 miles. It is leveraging these natural advantages to develop both utility-scale and direct-use geothermal applications.

Between 2025 and 2030, Asia Pacific is expected to see accelerated capacity additions driven by supportive government policies, declining development costs, and growing energy security concerns, with strategic partnerships between private and public sectors. Asia Pacific's geothermal market remains strategically important for regional decarbonisation goals and energy independence.

Investments and partnerships

The region continues to attract international investment and technology partnerships to unlock its substantial geothermal potential and meet rising electricity demand sustainably. For example:

• Baseload Power Taiwan and CPC Corporation, Taiwan (CPC) signed an MoU in June to accelerate geothermal development in the country through CPC’s local expertise and Baseload’s international geothermal experience. The companies will explore opportunities to develop geothermal projects across Taiwan, beginning with the Tuchang project in Yilan County, collaborating on resource evaluation, technical collaboration, due diligence, feasibility studies, and commercial decisions. 
• KS Orka Renewables Pte. Ltd. announced a strategic partnership with Halliburton in February to support geothermal project development across its project sites in Indonesia, including PT Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power (SMGP) in North Sumatra and PT Sokoria Geothermal Indonesia (SGI) in East Nusa Tenggara.The collaboration forms part of KS Orka Renewables Pte. Ltd.’s ongoing efforts to enhance competitive geothermal well development in Indonesia. The partnership aims to improve drilling efficiency, optimise costs, and accelerate the deployment of geothermal energy as a clean and reliable electricity source for the country. It will support geothermal well construction across multiple development phases at both project sites.

China dominates

China dominates the Asia Pacific geothermal energy space with a market size of US$3,573mn, representing over 71% of the regional market and driving significant technological advancement and capacity expansion across the region.

Indonesia and the Philippines together represent US$ 2,346mn in market value, positioning Southeast Asia as a critical growth corridor for geothermal development with abundant natural resources and increasing energy demand.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 26th August 2026

Cornish Lithium’s Cross Lanes Geothermal Lithium Project in Cornwall, UK, is advancing with the award of an integrated well services contract to Halliburton

Cross Lanes Geothermal Lithium Project

Cornwall's mineral-rich waters offer strong potential for sustainable lithium extraction. Cornish Lithium, which is commited to developing a secure, sustainable and domestic supply of lithium to support the UK's energy transition, plans to responsibly develop a number of geothermal projects across Cornwall, each capable of producing between 500 and 1,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent per year.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‍​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‍​‍​​‌‍​‌​​‌​​‍‌‍‌‌​​‌​‌‍​‍‌​​​‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌​‌​​‍‌​‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌​‍‌‌‍‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌​​‌​​‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍​‍​‍‌​‍​​‌​‌​‌‍​​‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌‍​​‌‍‌‍‌‍​‌‌‌‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍​​‌​‍​​‍​‌‍‌‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​​‍​​​‌​​‌​​​​‍​‍​​‌‌​​​​‌‍​‌​​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍​​​​‌‍‌​​‌​‌‍​‍​​​​​​‌‍​​​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‍​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‍​‍​​‌‍​‌​​‌​​‍‌‍‌‌​​‌​‌‍​‍‌​​​‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌​‌​​‍‌​‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌​‍‌‌‍‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌​​‌​​‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍​‍​‍‌​‍​​‌​‌​‌‍​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌‍​​‌‍‌‍‌‍​‌‌‌‍‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍​​‌​‍​​‍​‌‍‌‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​​‍​​​‌​​‌​​​​‍​‍​​‌‌​​​​‌‍​‌​​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍​​​​‌‍‌​​‌​‌‍​‍​​​​​​‌‍​​​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍‌‌ Cornish Lithium first drilled and tested an exploration borehole at Cross Lanes in 2023, which confirmed that lithium rich geothermal waters circulate naturally through its underlying rock formations.

Planning permission has been granted for a commercial lithium production facility at this site. The facility, which will include a demonstration plant phase, will enable Cornish Lithium to implement multiple phases of testing and enhancements to confirm the site’s potential for the commercial production of lithium, with a long-term aim of achieving full commercial production.

Phase 1 of the project, which is supported by the UK government, began in January 2026 and includes the construction and operation of the geothermal lithium production facility, along with drilling two new 2,000 metre boreholes to establish the lithium resources potential of underground geothermal waters.

Halliburton’s role

Under the contract, Halliburton will provide an integrated execution approach, encompassing subsurface modelling and well engineering, together with equipment and services for the drilling and testing of the two appraisal wells. This work will help to estimate the amount of lithium contained within the geothermal system of the Cornubian Batholith – the large body of granite formed around 280 million years ago that lies beneath much of Cornwall and Devon.

These commercial-scale wells will allow Cornish Lithium to carry out extended testing during a defined timescale to validate sustainable production conditions, assess water reinjection rates and confirm the company’s preferred direct lithium extraction technology at demonstration scale. In addition, these test works will allow the company to explore the potential to harness geothermal heat for local homes and businesses.

Data gathered from the wells will inform the project’s Final Investment Decision and support the company’s wider ambition to develop a network of modular geothermal lithium production hubs across Cornwall. Together, these sites could deliver a scalable, low carbon and secure domestic supply of lithium for the UK.

Martin Geissler, VP general manager for Lithium in Geothermal Waters at Cornish Lithium, said,“We are delighted to appoint Halliburton as our technical collaborator for integrated service delivery on the well services and testing scope of our Cross Lanes Geothermal Lithium Project.

“Halliburton brings deep industry expertise and knowledge and will support the drilling and testing phases of our project, from well design to construction. Their team was highly proactive throughout the tender process, demonstrating a clear understanding of our requirements and a strong commitment to supporting the project’s objectives. We look forward to working with Halliburton and other collaborators as we continue to advance the project, support Cornwall’s proud mining heritage, and create high-quality jobs and long-term economic growth for the region.”

Jean-Marc Lopez, senior vice president, Europe, Eurasia, and Sub-Saharan Africa region, Halliburton, added, “With more than 70 years of geothermal development experience and over a century of well delivery expertise, I expect our teams will execute the drilling programme safely and efficiently to support Cornish Lithium’s technical and operational objectives.”