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Rodatherm Energy wants to make geothermal more efficient, but will it be cheaper?
Rodatherm Energy emerged from stealth with $38 million in Series A funding. It plans to build a closed-loop geothermal power plant that uses refrigerants to move heat to the surface.
The company is on track to complete a 100-megawatt first phase of its Cape Station power plant next year with an additional 400 megawatts coming online in 2028. The startup’s patent on the technology says that the closed-loop design will eliminate the need for filters to screen grit and debris that open-loop systems might suck up as the water flowing through the ground breaks bits of rock loose. It’s possible that the added efficiency its refrigerant-based design could offset those costs, though that remains an open question until the company completes a well.
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