Geothermal energy is a key renewable energy technology with a wide range of applications, including heating and cooling, electricity generation, hot water provision and thermal underground storage across the year.
ETIP-Geothermal’s new roadmap is a forward-looking initiative that is intended to serve as the cornerstone in the EU’s journey towards climate neutrality by 2050. Utilising the extensive geothermal resources available across Europe will enable cities like Paris (France), Munich (Germany), and Szeged (Hungary), as well as regions like Tuscany (Italy) to showcase the effectiveness of geothermal energy in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and supporting Europe local economic growth.
Geothermal heat with district heating and cooling, supply to industry, agriculture and buildings with collective and individual heat pumps, covers more than 30 percent of Europe’s demand for heating and cooling.
Geothermal electricity covers more than 10 percent of the power consumption in Europe. This saves costs for the decarbonisation of the power sector.
Underground thermal storage (UTES) supports energy system integration. UTES can contribute to more than 10 percent of Europe’s heating and cooling consumption.
Sustainable extraction of minerals and critical raw materials (CRM) from geothermal are contributing to EU targets of at least 10 percent of the EU’s annual consumption for extraction.
The roadmap also presents the concept of geothermal industrial valleys, explaining how they can reshape Europe’s economic landscapes. These systems aim to support the transition of regions from conventional energy sources to sustainable, self-reliant hubs for geothermal renewable energy to supply local energy generation, distribution, and consumption.
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