Baker Hughes Talks Unlocking Geothermal Energy Potential

It’s sustainable with low emissions. It’s available 24 hours a day.

So, why does geothermal energy remain untapped for the most part as a renewable energy source?

“If there’s one major thing that is preventing geothermal from unlocking its full potential is really its cost competitiveness with other renewables,” Ajit Menon, vice president of geothermal and energy transition for Baker Hughes, told Hart Energy. “It’s related to the risk and uncertainty of a geothermal project [in the subsurface] because you have to make such a large upfront investment,” and it may take years to see cash flow.

However, efforts are underway to change that using the technologies and skills adapted from the oilfield services sector to help bring down costs, improve existing geothermal techniques and address other operational challenges.