ETIP-Geothermal releases vision for geothermal in Europe for 2030/2050

“Geothermal Horizons: from Cities to Regions” by ETIP-Geothermal

The European Technology & Innovation Platform on Geothermal (ETIP-Geothermal) has launched a new document that details a vision for geothermal towards helping to achieve the European Union’s climate neutrality milestone by 2050.

The full report, “Geothermal Horizons from Cities to Regions,” can be accessed via this link.

ETIP-Geothermal is an open stakeholder group endorsed by the European Commission under the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). Its overarching objective is to enable geothermal technology to proliferate and reach its full potential everywhere in Europe.

“This ETIP Geothermal Vision looks towards the future of geothermal energy development to achieve the European Union’s climate-neutral milestone by 2050, and it highlights the great benefits of geothermal to decarbonise our economy. It is a unique solution to allow a sustainable energy transition with a paradigm shift for a circular economy,” said Luca Xodo, ETIP Geothermal Chair.

Geothermal is a key enabler for energy system integration, bringing renewable resources to the power, and heating and cooling industries in addition to energy storage and critical raw materials supply.”

This vision is a progressive work that aims to serve as a cornerstone to achieve the EU climate-neutral milestone by 2050. Using the abundant geothermal resources spread across Europe, cities like Paris (France), Munich (Germany), Szeged (Hungary) and regions like Tuscany (Italy) are clear examples of the power of geothermal energy and its efficacy in reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels and contributing to local economic development.

As members of ETIP, representatives from industry, academia, research centres, and sectoral associations support the development of geothermal research and innovation as a crucial part of the energy transition in Europe. The research agenda targets the development of novel geothermal applications, which must be tailored to meet the diverse energy needs of European citizens and industries. A crucial step is the integration of these applications into the European energy security scheme, particularly in regions vulnerable to external energy dependencies.

By building “made in Europe” geothermal solutions, cities and regions can reduce their reliance on fossil fuel and materials imports, increasing their energy independence from external sources. Today geothermal technologies do not consume critical raw materials and are built using EU supply chains for equipment and components: steel, chemicals, and cement. Europe has a leadership role in geothermal technologies. Innovation must be supported to maintain the EU’s leadership.

In summary, this vision for advancing geothermal technologies and innovations in Europe represents a breaking point and a unique opportunity to address the climate transition and secure Europe’s energy supply in an affordable way.

Earlier this year, ETIP-Geothermal launched the EGRISE, a search engine that allows for the discovery of research products (e.g. project deliverables, papers, datasets) produced in EU-funded geothermal projects and by the whole geothermal community worldwide.

Source: ETIP-Geothermal