Eavor powers up

TECH

Eavor switches on its first commercial geothermal system

What happened: Eavor started delivering electricity to Germany’s grid for the first time using its Eavor Loop system. The Gerestried project is the world’s first commercial operation of a closed-loop geothermal system.

The details: Eavor’s system acts like a massive underground radiator, drilling vertical wells 4-5km down that then branch into horizontal wells and connect to each other. A specialized fluid circulates though this closed system, absorbing heat from the surrounding rock, and bringing it to the surface to generate heat and electricity.

Operations are still ramping up - it’s at “partial” commercial operation - and the company expects to generate 64MW of thermal output and 8.2MW of electrical output.

Calgary-based Eavor has been developing the system since 2017 and is backed by an international group of investors including bp Ventures, Temasek, Japan Energy Fund, and the Canada Growth Fund.

Why it matters: Low-carbon baseload power remains one of the hardest problems in the energy transition. It’s a power profile that can typically only be met with nuclear of fossil fuels.

Geothermal is promising, but traditional methods need to tap into naturally-occurring underground water reservoirs to capture the heat. Finding the right geological conditions with natural reservoirs has limited where geothermal can be deployed.

Eavor’s closed loop system aims to remove that constraint. It works across a range of geologies, performance doesn’t degrade from fluid losses or redrilling, and has a minimal land and water footprint.

These first electrons feeding into grid are a critical milestone for Eavor’s commercialization - and an example of Canadian technology and capabilities turning into exportable climate infrastructure.

What’s next: The Gerestried project is a blueprint for Eavor’s European and global expansion. The company is building on operational learnings (like reducing drilling time by 50% during the project) while building a pipeline of projects across regions seeking firm, local, carbon-free energy.

Related:

• Michael Liebreich’s reflections on Eavor’s progress from idea to commercial reality

• Geothermal energy investments are on track to grow 20% by 2030 - and have already tripled since 2020

• Geothermal could provide clean, cost-competitive baseload power in Canada

CLIMATE CAPITAL

⛏️ pH7 Technologies (Vancouver, BC) closed a $25.6 million Series B round led by Fine Structure Ventures, with BHP Ventures and others, for its closed-loop, low-impact metal extraction technology.

⚛️ General Fusion (Richmond, BC) secured $51.5 million in its second capital infusion to keep developing its fusion energy reactors. The company ran into funding issues earlier this year and laid off staff.

💨 Carbonova (Calgary, AB) raised $5.1 million in equity funding to finance its commercial demonstration project in Alberta. Carbonova converts CO2 and methane into carbon nanofibers used in batteries, composites, and construction materials.

🌊 pHathom (Halifax, NS) received $5.8 million from Canada’s Ocean Supercluster for an ocean-based bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCOS) solution that will capture CO2 from bioenergy plants, convert it into dissolved bicarbonate, and store it in the ocean

💰️ MKB (Montreal, QC) closed its third energy transition fund, it’s largest to date, to back growth-stage companies across power, mobility, built environment, and industrial efficiency.

IN THE FIELD

Deep Sky partnered with Sumitomo Mitsui (SMBC) to build out a direct air capture (DAC) and high-integrity carbon removal market in Japan.

• Deep Sky is also teaming up with Germany’s DACMA to deploy their DAC technology in Canada.

CURA will partner with infrastructure company ACCIONA to validate its low-carbon electrochemical cement.

MaRS and Definity Financial launched the Adaptech Accelerator to support 8-10 early stage climate adaptation startups.

Data centre developer Cologix opened its first LEED Gold-certified data centre in Montreal.

Printerra started printing Canada’s first net-zero 3D printed student residence at the University of Windsor.

Mitrex launched a new, customizable building-integrated photovoltaic system, eFacade PRO+, to integrate solar energy into high-rise buildings.

The Saskatchewan Research Council signed a five year offtake agreement with US-based REalloys to supply critical minerals from its processing facility in Saskatoon.

• The SRC facility is quietly becoming a leader in critical minerals, and was one of the first to produce critical minerals at a commercial scale in North America

Enjoying the newsletter? You probably know someone else who’d enjoy it too.

Share the link below to spread the word (and earn rewards!)

NEWS

📡 Signals & Currents

Quebec relaunched its electric truck rebate program with $145.5M to electrify medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Ontario is introducing a new, lower rate for public EV charging next year that could improve the economics and accelerate the rollout of charging infrastructure.

Ontario also launched a working group for advanced wood construction including prefabricated and modular construction.

Cuts at Natural Resources Canada will impact staff working on climate, wildfire tracking, and other scientific and research capacity.

The co-chairs of Canada’s Net-Zero Advisory Body resigned as government priorities changed and the work felt “neglected”.

A proposal for hydrogen-powered passenger rail connecting Calgary and Banff has been submitted to the federal Major Projects Office for fast-tracking.

The Wonder Valley data centre in Alberta could undo decades of progress on emissions if it runs on the designed 7.5 GW of gas-fired power.

BC is backing three pilots for low-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles as part of its “Look West” plan to counteract US tariffs.

Quick Hits

• Galvanize niches down on venture debt for climate tech

• Zillow dropped climate risk scores for … doing their job

• Grid investments are up 16% - again

• Trump is slashing fuel economy standards

• Demand for some critical minerals, copper is outpacing supply

• The UK launched an Advance Market Commitment (a la Frontier) for low-carbon concrete

• Updated GHG protocols could turn back the clock on clean energy procurement

• The UK published new safety guidelines for cultivated meats

COMMUNITY

🚀 Artificial Intelligence for Canadian Energy Innovation: Hosted by NRCan, this program funds applied research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of AI solutions that accelerate the pace of, and lower the costs associated with, energy technology innovation. Apply by December 11th.

➡️ Discover more funding opportunities.

🗓️ Canada’s Grid in the Age of AI: Join me in Ottawa for this discussion on how the rapid growth of data centres will transform Canada’s grid. Dec 18th, Ottawa.

➡️ Discover more climate events.

🧑🏻‍💻 pH7 Technologies is hiring a Director of Mineral Processing responsible for the process design, scale-up strategy, and technical framework to deploy its technology at partner sites.

➡️ Find more open roles.