Imagine trying to get heat from deep underground rocks that aren't naturally porous. This project creates a way to 'crack' those rocks safely to let water flow through and carry heat back up. It's like building a high-tech plumbing system deep in the earth while making sure the process doesn't cause tiny earthquakes that worry people living nearby.
Deep geothermal energy is often hindered by low rock permeability and the risk of induced earthquakes, which leads to high costs and public opposition in urban areas.
A Micro-Turbine Drilling bottom-hole assembly (MTD-BHA) prototype and physics-based Digital Twins for real-time reservoir management.
If you are a developer dealing with low heat productivity in hard rock settings — this project developed a Micro-Turbine Drilling assembly and adaptive stimulation designs that increase energy output and efficiency.
If you are a contractor dealing with high costs of multi-stage reservoir stimulation — this project developed a new MTD-BHA prototype and Digital Twins that reduce operational time and costs.
If you are a utility dealing with public opposition to geothermal projects due to seismic risks — this project developed real-time reservoir imaging and risk mitigation strategies to increase social acceptance.
Based on available project data, it aims for cost and time reductions through the use of a new Micro-Turbine Drilling prototype and physics-based Digital Twins for real-time operational decision-making.
The project is moving toward industrial scale by demonstrating a field-scale EGS pilot at the RINGEN site in Czechia to prove the technology works in a real-world environment.
Based on available project data, the project is developing a Micro-Turbine Drilling bottom-hole assembly (MTD-BHA) prototype, but specific licensing terms are not mentioned.
It integrates the European societal and legal context to ensure environmental protection and social acceptance, specifically focusing on mitigating injection-induced seismicity in urban areas.
The project runs from 2026-05-01 to 2030-04-30, meaning full pilot results will be available by early 2030.
The consortium is research-heavy but balanced for a pilot project, consisting of 8 partners across 5 countries. With a 25% industry ratio (2 industrial partners), the project ensures that the 3 research institutions and 2 universities are building tools with direct commercial application in mind, specifically targeting the European petrothermal market.
Contact GFZ Helmholtz Zentrum für Geoforschung in Germany
Contact us to connect with the UPLIFT consortium for early access to MTD-BHA specifications.
