Europe

• Date: 10th December 2025

The Scottish university has secured a £1mn (US$1.3mn) public grant for a geothermal feasibility pilot study to unlock the potential lying under the ground.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 8th December 2025

The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) has called on European Union (EU) officials to prioritise geothermal in the wake of the planned phase out of Russia gas imports.

It comes after the EU agreed to end Russian gas imports by late 2027 as part of an effort to terminate its decades-long dependency on energy supplies by its neighbour.

Moscow was the EU's former top gas supplier prior to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but efforts have been made to diversify European energy sources since.

“Following on from the EU’s commitments to phase out energy imports from Russia, make energy affordable, boost industrial competitiveness, improve energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, EGEC insists that the European Commission (EC) must present an investment-orientated strategy and action plan to accelerate the deployment of all geothermal energy solutions,” an EGEC statement read.

The Council called on the EC to publish a dedicated European geothermal strategy and action plan in the first quarter of 2026.It added that this echoes requests made by EU energy ministers and also by the European Parliament.

“Indeed, the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, has already confirmed (on 14 March 2025) that the Commission will present ‘an action plan on geothermal energy’ before the end of March 2026,” the statement noted.

According to EGEC, the Commission’s proposal must include the following elements:

• An EU-wide target to reach 250 GW of geothermal capacity by 2040 covering all technologies. This will build on the 44 GW of installed capacity in the EU.

• A European Geothermal Charter, which codifies the 2040 target and launches the Geothermal Industrial Alliance to manage its delivery.

• Targeted European financial instruments to leverage private capital.

• Measures to make permitting processes more efficient and faster, as well as improving access to geological data.

• Sectoral or tripartite agreements with key energy consumers.

• Peer-to-peer guidance to help governments develop national and regional roadmaps to remove barriers, accelerate investments and build local supply chains.

• European instruments to support value chain development in local manufacturing and skilled professionals.

• The inclusion of geothermal energy as a central pillar of the EU’s Global Gateway and the Global Energy Transition Forum.

• Improvements to the collection and presentation of market data and statistics to enable better energy modelling.

EGEC has laid out all of its proposals in a new policy document entitled: The European geothermal strategy and action plan – making Europe competitive, secure and affordable.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 8th December 2025

In Croatia, research into the country’s geothermal potential continues with the start of the Zapresic GT-1 well, located near the Novi Dvori landfill in Zapresic, a town in Zagreb County, the local authority said in an update.

It forms the last of four drill locations as part of a national geothermal potential research project led by Croatian Hydrocarbons Agency (AZU).

AZU said in October that well site preparation was underway for the construction of the fourth and final well site for the drilling rig.

According to the Zapresic statement, previous research has already confirmed positive findings in Velika Gorica, Osijek and Vinkovci.

Zapresic is the next step in determining whether commercial geothermal deposits exist that are suitable for district heating needs, it noted.

"We have conducted detailed measurements and analyses at locations with geothermal potential, which have given us a good initial picture, but we can only obtain reliable data by going deeper,” said Martina Tuschl, Director of the Geothermal Energy Sector at AZU.

“The expertise of our team has been confirmed at the previous three locations where the wells have yielded positive results, and we are applying the same approach in Zapresic. Upon completion of the testing, we will have clear information about the actual geothermal potential of this area.”

She also explained that the targeted deposit is located at a depth of about 2,700 metres, where the temperature and flow of geothermal water will be measured, key parameters for assessing the deposit's economic viability.

The work at Zapresic is expected to continue until February 2026.

“This is an important moment for Zapresic,” according to the city’s Mayor Zeljko Turk.

“A project has begun that opens up the possibility of using our own source of clean energy and creating a modern, safe heating system. We believe in a positive outcome and look forward to the results that will show that our city can make a step forward towards a sustainable and long-term profitable solution for citizens, as well as the economy.”

Potential future uses of the geothermal energy in the area include the Falecnjak enterprise zone and a new planned city swimming pool.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 03 December, 2025

Vulcan Energy has secured a comprehensive financing package to fully fund the construction and development of Phase One of the Lionheart lithium project in the Upper Rhine Valley.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 01 December, 2025

Project InnerSpace has announced the launch of GeoMap Europe, a geothermal mapping tool that unifies decades of data to reveal the continent’s vast potential.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 26 November, 2025

Arverne has commenced drilling operations on the first geothermal doublet production and re-injection wells at its Schwabwiller site in Alsace, France.

“This milestone crowns five years of intense effort and marks a major step forward in the industrialisation of the unprecedented Lithium de France project,” said Pierre Brossollet, Arverne’s founder and CEO.

On the surface, the two wells will be spaced 10 metres apart and will gradually move further apart to reach a spacing of 1 kilometre at a depth of 2,400 metres.

Drilling operations for the first doublet of the Lithium de France project will take place over a seven-month period.In a statement, the company said this initial drilling will confirm the flow rate, temperature, and lithium content of the geothermal fluid at the site.

The first phase will be crucial for collecting data that will help refine geological models and adapt technical protocols, it noted in a statement.

“The Lithium de France project will actively contribute to the energy transition by providing carbon-free geothermal heat to businesses, farms, and local communities in northern Alsace via a short supply chain,” the statement read.

The geothermal brines, rich in critical metals, will also be used to produce low-carbon lithium to support electric mobility, it added.

According to Brossollet, the project will enhance the attractiveness of the region, contribute to decarbonisation efforts, and generate nearly 200 direct jobs in the area.

The geothermal lithium produced will also have a reduced environmental footprint, with approximately 70% less CO2 emissions compared to the lithium currently available on the market.

“By combining geothermal heat and sustainable lithium extraction in Europe, this project embodies a new era of energy sovereignty and re-industrialisation for our country,” said Brossollet.

“This success is a testament to the ongoing commitment of our teams and the renewed confidence of our shareholders. It brings us closer to the final investment decision, an essential step in realising our ambitions.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 25 November, 2025

Scunthorpe General hospital in northern England is set to become a showcase for geothermal energy early in 2026, according to NHS North Lincolnshire and Goole, the NHS Foundation Trust that looks after the facility.

The Trust provided an update on timings for the project, which is being carried out by CeraPhi Energy Ltd, with works “due to be completed early next year,” it noted a statement.

“Geothermal energy will be used to heat some of our hospital buildings as part of a ground-breaking project to transform Scunthorpe General into one of the greenest healthcare sites in the UK,” it stated.

“The pioneering project will see us using reliable, green heat from deep below the grounds of the hospital, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and helping us to meet our Net Zero targets.”

The system is believed to be the deepest of its type ever installed in the UK and is part of a larger programme of improvements being made on the site, which also include replacing gas-fired boilers with state-of-the-art electric boilers and the construction of a new energy centre.

Other energy improvements include installing new car ports to house additional solar panels in the hospital’s car parks and upgrading the windows, roofing and building management system.

“We are proud to be one of the most pioneering NHS organisations in the country in using sustainable, green energy to power and heat our hospitals,” said Alex Best, group deputy director of capital services and sustainability.

“We believe this is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, we want to create healthy, clean environments for our patients, visitors and staff – and the wider communities living and working around our hospital sites.”

Best added: “We also want to invest in technology that will help to make our buildings more efficient, creating comfortable spaces for patients to heal and recuperate, that are more economical to run.

“This latest phase of works, that will see us using a geothermal system to heat some of our buildings at Scunthorpe is a really exciting development, which we hope will pave the way for similar schemes in the future.”

Gary Williams, chief operating officer of CeraPhi Energy Ltd, added: “We are immensely proud to be partnering with the NHS on this infrastructure project and we are committed to supporting Scunthorpe General Hospital in setting a new standard for sustainable healthcare.”

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal

Project InnerSpace has introduced GeoMap Europe, an advanced geothermal mapping and prospecting platform designed to consolidate decades of subsurface research and present a unified view of Europe's extensive geothermal potential.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 19 November, 2025

Preparations are underway for an ambitious geothermal drilling project that will support heating and cooling at the future Central Communication Port (Centralny Port Komunikacyjny / CPK) Airport in Poland.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 14th November 2025

Sweco Group, a European architecture and engineering consultancy, is building up its geothermal prowess to add to its existing renewable energy capacities.

The company recently announced the acquisition of VHGM, a small Dutch firm specialised in geothermal energy consulting.

It will add net sales of SEK 22mn (US$2.3mn) plus around 22 experts to the group, a Sweco statement noted.

As well as geothermal, VHGM is also active in the aquathermal space, the sustainable heating and cooling of buildings by extracting heat and cold from surface water, wastewater or drinking water.

Because the Netherlands consists of a fifth of surface water, aquathermal is potentially deemed a major source for a sustainable way of heating and cooling homes and buildings.

The acquisition also follows news of Sweco signing a new framework agreement with Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch government agency responsible for the modernisation and development of infrastructure and water management.

This entails providing engineering services for renewal projects over the next four to six years, to support major upgrades of primary infrastructure in the Netherlands.

In its recent Q3 results, Sweco reported “good demand” across the energy, infrastructure, water and environment segments of its business.

The interest in geothermal ties up with Sweco’s other areas of business, with a focus on clean, advanced infrastructure development.

One of the flagship engineering projects acquired during Q3 is the design of Finnish food company Fazer’s future chocolate factory in Lahti, which will operate without direct carbon dioxide emissions.

“Projects won during the quarter highlight Sweco's role in future-proofing societies and industries,” said Åsa Bergman, Sweco CEO, in a Q3 call with investors.

Sweco also announced a number of other acquisitions in Q3, including Fimpec Group, a Finnish consultancy that employs around 400 experts, with specialist capabilities in renewable energy, hydrogen, the bio- and circular economy, forest industry, batteries and critical minerals.

It also moved for Belgian consultancy, assar architects, a leading firm in large-scale public and private sector projects, including offices and commercial buildings, healthcare, defence, education and urban planning.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 6 November, 2025

Vulcan Energy has received the construction permit for its upstream Lithium Extraction Plant (LEP), a key component of the company’s Phase One Lionheart Project in Landau, Germany.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Well Intervention
• Date: 4 November, 2025

Clean Energy Technologies, Inc. has entered into a strategic collaboration with Qymera Global Energy Ltd. to advance and commercialize the DeepFyre geothermal power system, designed to deliver scalable, cost-efficient, zero-emission baseload power for island nations and emerging global markets.