Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) create engineered geothermal reservoirs in hot dry rock where natural permeability is insufficient for conventional geothermal development. Water is injected at depth to open or enhance fractures, circulates through the heated rock, and returns to the surface for electricity generation or direct heat use. Unlike hydrothermal geothermal, which is limited to locations with naturally occurring heat, fluid and permeability, EGS can be deployed across a far wider range of geologies, significantly expanding geothermal potential beyond volcanic regions.[1,2,3]

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), next-generation geothermal technologies such as EGS could broaden the geographical scope of geothermal deployment and provide firm, low-carbon renewable energy in regions without natural geothermal reservoirs.[4]

Main outcomes of the solution

• Sustainability: Delivers low-carbon renewable heat and power by creating engineered geothermal reservoirs in locations lacking natural hydrothermal resources, supporting deep decarbonization while minimizing land requirements. Lifecycle impacts remain low relative to fossil alternatives. 
• Business value: Opens new opportunities for baseload renewable investment as drilling technologies improve, while enabling knowledge transfer from oil and gas. Early-stage capital requirements and subsurface uncertainty still pose investment risks, but successful pilots can catalyze specialized financing and local supply-chain capability. 
• Reliability & Flexibility: Provides continuous, dispatchable renewable power that complements variable solar and wind. Reservoir performance depends on subsurface conditions, flow rates and thermal sustainability, requiring ongoing monitoring to maintain reliable output. 

Key deployment and scaling factors

1. Advanced drilling technology and cost-effective hydraulic stimulation to create permeability in deep hot rock. 
2. Accurate subsurface characterization (geology, heat flow, stress fields) to optimize reservoir creation and minimize induced seismic risk. 
3. High upfront capital investment with financing models that absorb early-stage risk and enable scaling. 
4. Regulatory frameworks for geothermal licensing, monitoring induced seismicity, and permitting deep reservoirs. 
5. Skilled workforce and supply chain development for deep drilling, well stimulation, reservoir management and long-term operation. 
6. Continuous reservoir monitoring to manage thermal drawdown, flow rates and induced seismicity. 
7. Community engagement and transparent communication to address seismic-risk concerns and support social acceptance. 

Case Studies

Geo-Energie Suisse (2024), Switzerland

Geo-Energie Suisse is developing a deep Enhanced Geothermal System in Jura Canton, targeting a depth of approximately 4,000 meters. Planned activities include hydraulic stimulation in 2025 to enhance permeability in hot dry rock, followed by drilling of a second well in 2026 to enable circulation testing. Subject to reservoir performance and regulatory approvals, the project has an indicative target of producing around 5 MWe later in the decade.  

The project is intended to demonstrate the technical feasibility of EGS in non-volcanic geological settings and to provide a reference model for expanding firm, low-carbon geothermal energy beyond regions with naturally occurring hydrothermal resources.[5]

Fervo Energy and Google (2023), USA

Fervo drilled two horizontal wells and deployed fiber-optic monitoring to track temperature, flow and reservoir performance in real time. In 2023, the project successfully completed a 30-day flow test, demonstrating stable flow rates and sustained heat extraction, confirming the technical viability of this next-generation geothermal approach in heat resources without naturally occurring flow.

Following this milestone, the system began supplying carbon-free electricity to the Nevada grid, contributing to Google's aim of achieving 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030.

The project illustrates how EGS can provide continuous, dispatchable clean power with a relatively small land footprint, support knowledge transfer from oil and gas drilling and monitoring practices, and expand geothermal deployment in resources previously considered unsuitable for conventional geothermal development.[6]

References:

1. The Future of Geothermal Energy I IEA (December 2024)
2. Enhanced Geothermal Systems I US Department of Energy (updated January 2025)
3. Why enhanced geothermal systems could be a game-changer for clean energy I StanfordReport (February 2025)
4. IEA publishes special report on the Future of Geothermal Energy I World-Energy (December 2024)
5. Deep Geothermal Pilot Project in Haute-Sorne (JU) I Geo-Energie Suisse AG
6. A first-of-its-kind geothermal project is now operational I Google (November 2023)