EDC Mahanagdong

Executive Overview

The EDC Mahanagdong project is a closed-loop geothermal demonstration conducted by GreenFire Energy in partnership with Energy Development Corporation (EDC) at EDC's Mahanagdong geothermal facility in Leyte, Philippines. The project converted an idle geothermal well — rendered unproductive by high concentrations of non-condensable gases — into a generating asset using GreenFire's patented GreenLoop closed-loop heat mining technology. Installation and commissioning were scheduled for Q4 2021. It is the first deployment of GreenFire's GreenLoop technology outside the United States, following the inaugural demonstration at the Coso geothermal reservoir in California in 2019. EDC, the Philippines' largest geothermal producer, controls approximately 1,200 MW of installed geothermal capacity across the country.

How It Works & Differentiation

GreenFire's GreenLoop system inserts a sealed coaxial or U-tube heat exchanger into an existing wellbore, through which a working fluid circulates in a closed loop, extracting heat from the surrounding rock and brine without producing any formation fluid. This eliminates the non-condensable gas problem that made the target well commercially unusable: because no formation fluid is produced, no gases are vented. The technology can be retrofitted into idle, degraded, or high-NCG wells using existing wellbore infrastructure, without drilling new wells. GreenFire estimates that over 20% of geothermal wells worldwide are unproductive from inception or due to degradation — a large technically addressable market. Only approximately 2% of the world's geothermal resource is accessible with conventional technology; closed-loop approaches expand this significantly.

Commercialization & Traction

The Mahanagdong demonstration validates GreenLoop in a major commercial geothermal field rather than in an independent well, giving the technology direct exposure to the procurement decisions of one of the world's largest geothermal operators. GreenFire's prior Coso demonstration (also documented in this database) established the world's first field-scale closed-loop geothermal result; the EDC project extends that record to Southeast Asia. EDC's stated interest in deploying the technology across its portfolio provides a pipeline pathway that does not require greenfield exploration — only conversion of existing underperforming assets.

Scalability & Strategic Context

The Philippines relies on geothermal energy for approximately 10% of national electricity generation, making it among the highest geothermal-dependent economies globally. EDC's existing infrastructure across Leyte, Negros, Bicol, and Southern Negros represents a ready-made deployment platform for GreenLoop if the Mahanagdong demonstration performs to specification. The technology's core value proposition — converting stranded geothermal capital into productive assets without new drilling costs — is directly relevant to mature geothermal fields globally, including those in Indonesia, Kenya, Iceland, and the United States, where significant idle or degraded well inventory exists.