ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Geothermal for Sustainable Islands
Island nations globally are faced with challenges that are often very specific to their individual environments. They are also hotspots for geothermal development opportunities that are currently broadly overlooked, but the development of such resources could be transformative in reducing energy prices and insecurity, and improving climate and geohazard resilience, all while having the smallest surface footprint. This session will explore some of the key barriers for geothermal development in island nations and begin to identify some of the solutions moving forwards.

Geothermal representation & value in power modelling
A key challenge for geothermal is quantifying the full value of geothermal power to a decarbonized grid. A variety of grid modelling, technical potential, and economic screening tools are utilized by industry and academia which fall short of including all the benefits of geothermal power, e.g. all the temporal benefits or nuances of power plant operation. The added benefit of hybrid and emerging technologies, thermal energy storage and the flexibility of power dispatch must be included in utilities integrated power plans. This session will discuss progress and needs to realize geothermal full potential in decarbonizing national grids.

Tackling Natural Hazards in Geothermal
The majority of geothermal power plants globally and 50% of global installed power capacity are within a 5km radius of an active volcanic centre. A significant number are also within active tectonic zones. Several recent events including the Lelani Estate eruption on Hawaii, the ongoing activity on the Rekjyanes Peninsula, volcanic unrest in the Azores, and earthquake sequences in the Philippines, have all impacted geothermal power production. This session aims to explore and understand the lessons learned from these and other sites. From these lessons, can we develop accepted protocols in response to geohazards and their potential or perceived impact to geothermal infrastructure and output.

Advancing a geothermal project through play, prospect, Prospective Resource to production test – Part 2
A geothermal project’s reserves/profit is the culmination of the project satisfying requirements at each decision gate of a sequence of evaluations: play analysis, prospect selection, resource estimation, reservoir discovery, reservoir evaluation, resource revision to thermal energy production. The techniques and decision gate criteria differ between organisations, geology types and jurisdictions, making projects incomparable.

This session will examine differing evaluation workflows that were successful in different geologies, identify commonalities, then recommend a common set of decision gates, encouraging outcomes developed through conversation and teamwork.

Pitfalls for geothermal project development – how to pass the due diligence threshold of financiers
This session aims to explore key aspects of geothermal project development pitfalls and provide learnings from experienced experts on the different due diligence processes used to assess a project’s finance ready status. The due diligence areas to be covered include legal, finance, commercial, fiscal, environmental & social, and technical areas.

Making geothermal projects happen: Financing and streamlining small-scale development
Small-scale geothermal projects, especially in island and remote regions, face consistent barriers: high upfront costs, complex permitting, and limited financing pathways. This session will explore actionable solutions to these persistent challenges. Drawing on new research and global stakeholder interviews from a joint initiative by greenCrowd and the International Geothermal Association, the panel will present tested ideas for streamlining permitting, unlocking blended finance, and applying replicable project development frameworks. Participants will then work in focused breakout groups to test and refine these concepts, sharing lived experiences and surfacing regional insights.

Have Your Say: The IADC Geothermal Well Drilling Guideline
Standards for geothermal well drilling and operation are fragmented and regionalized. The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) is developing an international guideline to capture the shared learning from these standards as well as supplement them with knowledge gathered from IADC members, who are responsible for drilling over 80% of all wells drilled globally. Utilizing the common language developed in the IADC Geothermal Well Classification, the specific sections of the guidelines – such as Well Design, Rig & Equipment and Well Control – will be reviewed, with all feedback from session attendees taking into consideration before the final release of the guidelines.

Regulatory Frameworks and Innovative Public Policies for the Development of Geothermal Energy in Latin America and the Caribbean
The central objective of this session is to promote a high-level, strategic dialogue focused on Latin America and the Caribbean to identify the regulatory barriers that hinder geothermal development in the region and propose innovative strategies, based on good public policy practices and effective regulatory frameworks, that will accelerate the sustainable growth of the sector, aligned with global climate commitments and local energy demands.

Gaming as a Tool for Geothermal Education
This session will explore the opportunities available to us in using gaming platforms such as Minecraft as a tool to educate and communicate geothermal energy to wider public and the younger generations.