Stanford Geothermal WorkshopFebruary 9-11, 2026

Achieving Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2050 will require expanded deployment of geothermal and other low-carbon energy systems capable of providing reliable heat and power. Engineered geological hydrogen generation in ultramafic formations shares strong conceptual and operational similarities with geothermal systems, including fluid circulation, subsurface heat extraction, and surface power conversion. During stimulated geological hydrogen production, hydrogen is co-produced with high-temperature water that transports significant geothermal energy to the surface. This thermal energy is commonly dissipated during surface cooling prior to reinjection, representing a missed opportunity for power generation and increased operational cost. This study investigates the feasibility of integrating a geothermal binary power system with engineered geological hydrogen production to recover waste heat and enable a self-sustaining surface operation. An integrated framework is developed that couples laboratory-scale serpentinization-based hydrogen-generation experiments with field-scale thermal-production forecasting and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) modeling. Hydrogen generation rates are scaled to field conditions using fracture-surface-area–based geometric scaling across three reservoir scenarios: low-temperature uncatalyzed, low-temperature catalyzed, and high-temperature catalyzed. A 20-year production lifecycle is simulated, and the co-produced injected fluid is evaluated as the primary heat source for a closed-loop ORC. Results show that low-temperature uncatalyzed systems provide insufficient thermal power, while high-temperature catalyzed systems generate substantial geothermal power but may involve higher capital and operational risks. A low-temperature catalyzed scenario is identified as a marginal yet viable geothermal case, capable of meeting the minimum 3 MW power threshold required for self-sustaining surface operations. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that reservoir decline management through restimulation is critical for maintaining long-term geothermal power output. These results highlight the potential to repurpose geothermal binary power concepts to improve energy efficiency, thermal recovery, and sustainability in engineered subsurface energy systems.

Topic: General