Turboden America LLC, subsidiary of Turboden S.p.A is set to supply Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) turbines to Fervo Energy for up to 35 GeoBlocks – Fervo’s standardised 50 MW ORC power plants – totalling 1.7GW of carbon-free, dispatchable power capacity, under a three-year framework agreement.
Turboden’s ORC turbines convert heat into power without increasing fuel consumption, water use, or CO2 emissions. The agreement expands the US-based supply chain for Turboden’s proprietary ORC turbine design, shortening lead times and thereby potentially boosting the supply of geothermal power to meet rising demand. The framework agreement also establishes delivery timelines that are expected to enable faster project execution and support supply chain resilience as Fervo, a leader in next-generation geothermal development, scales. It builds on an earlier agreement to supply ORC units for three 50 MW GeoBlocks at Fervo’s enhanced Cape Station geothermal development in Utah. The companies are currently in the advanced commissioning stage of the Phase I project at Cape Station, with startup expected later this year.
With the framework agreement, Fervo sees Turboden as a dependable long-term supplier as it looks to rely on ORC technology as a core component of its projects. Both companies plan to strengthen system performance by learning from deployment experience. The agreement positions Turboden and Fervo to deliver fast tracked projects to address the rapidly growing demand from data centres for geothermal energy.
“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. Geothermal energy will be essential in stabilising a strained power grid with clean, firm energy, and Fervo has shown strong leadership in advancing the sector,” said Paolo Bertuzzi, president Turboden America LLC and CEO Turboden S.p.A. “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.”
“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.”