# Advanced geothermal: Efficiency

Why one fractured well now gives three times the power

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_adv_geo/efficiency/

What this tab covers How much of the energy available is actually captured or extracted, in per cent: theoretical limits, laboratory records, typical new equipment and in-service averages, each with exactly what is being measured.

Advanced geothermal uses the same turbines as conventional plants, so heat-to-electricity efficiency is similar (about 1-21%, averaging 12% worldwide). The measures that matter more are power per well and how hot the returning fluid is: enhanced systems have improved fast, while closed loops remain limited by slow heat conduction through rock.

Chart: Efficiency ranges
 In service Commercial

#### Efficiency by measure

| Measure | Range | Type | What is measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Geothermal power plants worldwide (conversion used by EGS and closed loops)** | 1 to 21%^[1](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2013.11.001) | In service | Heat in produced fluid to net electricity, 94 operating plants; binary plants, typical for these systems, sit at the low end |
| **Eavor Geretsried closed loop (design)** | 12.8%^[2](https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/?p=67393)^[3](https://knowledge.energyinst.org/new-energy-world/article?id=140011) | Commercial | 8.2 MW electric target against 64 MW thermal (calculated) |
| **Fervo Cape Station well output** | 10 MW per well^[5](https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/fervo-announces-technical-and-commercial-breakthroughs-at-cape-station-geothermal-site/) | Record | Over 10 MW from the first production well in a 30-day test, about three times Project Red |
| **Conventional geothermal well, for comparison** | 4 to 6 MW per well^[4](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.12689) | In service | Typical electrical output of a hydrothermal production well worldwide |

#### Where the energy is lost

| Step | Loss |
|---|---|
| **Conduction through rock to a sealed closed loop** | fluid produced at 120-140 °C from 235 °C rock in a modelled design^[4](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.12689) |
| **Heat rejected by the power cycle** | about 79-99% (calculated)^[1](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2013.11.001) |

Enhanced systems pump water through many fractures, so heat is carried by flowing fluid. Closed loops rely on conduction through solid rock, which is about 1,000 times less conductive than the best conductors. One analysis cited by McClure suggests that conventional or enhanced wells at 460 °C could in principle produce ten times the electricity of a closed loop with a tenth of the drilling.

#### Sources

1. [Efficiency of geothermal power plants: A worldwide review (Zarrouk and Moon, Geothermics 51, 142-153)](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2013.11.001) Elsevier, 2014
2. [Eavor reports first electricity generation at pioneering geothermal project in Geretsried, Germany](https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/?p=67393) ThinkGeoEnergy, 2025
3. [Innovative geothermal project powers up in Bavaria](https://knowledge.energyinst.org/new-energy-world/article?id=140011) Energy Institute, New Energy World, 2025
4. [Technical barriers for deep closed-loop geothermal (McClure; reviews Malek et al. 2022, Beckers and Johnston 2022 and others)](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.12689) arXiv, 2023
5. [Fervo announces technical and commercial breakthroughs at Cape Station geothermal site](https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/fervo-announces-technical-and-commercial-breakthroughs-at-cape-station-geothermal-site/) ThinkGeoEnergy, 2024

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_adv_geo/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_adv_geo/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_adv_geo/correlation/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_adv_geo/techniques/index.md)
- [Resources and labour](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_adv_geo/resources/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_adv_geo/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_adv_geo/links/index.md)