Google Cloud, Project Innerspace and SLB have launched a collaboration to accelerate the development of geothermal resources globally.
The collaboration is planned to combine the extensive geothermal data set from Project Innerspace’s GeoMap with the expertise of SLB’s GeothermEx’s geothermal consulting services to rapidly identify geothermal resources that can then be developed.
The GeoMap resource, currently in beta following its 2023 launch, comprises a wealth of surface and sub-surface data compiled specifically for geothermal prospecting.
“A central component of our theory of systemic change at Project Innerspace is the conviction that leveraging the technologies, capabilities, speed and scale of the oil and gas industry is necessary to grow geothermal into a thriving global powerhouse,” says Jamie Beard, executive director of Project Innerspace.
“It is our ambition as we build on this collaboration that we shift the massive potential of geothermal from the abstract into high impact reality. It’s time to get boots on the ground.”
GeoMap, which has been supported in development by a global team of more than 100 researchers and scientists, is hosted on the Google Earth Engine.
The tool also leverages Google Cloud’s scalable infrastructure, BigQuery and Vertex AI.
The diverse datasets are designed to allow users to visualize and analyze geothermal potential across different regions, effectively pinpointing promising locations for development.
With the combination of Project Innerspace’s mapping technology, SLB’s geothermal expertise and Google Cloud’s computing resources, the collaboration aims to simplify the identification process and the subsequent development and deployment of geothermal energy solutions globally.
IEA’s December 2024 report on geothermal energy, which was produced in partnership with Project Innerspace, indicates that geothermal energy has the potential to meet global electricity demands 140 times over – second only to solar PV among clean energy technologies – and that geothermal could meet up to 15% of global electricity demand up to 2050.
Originally published by Power Engineering International.
