The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) expects to see “a significant upturn” in business activity linked to geothermal energy projects throughout Europe, according to new findings in its latest market report.
The new edition of EGEC’s annual Geothermal Market Report said a combined 40MW of new capacity had come on stream during 2024. It identified three new geothermal power plants — one in Austria and two in Turkey — had come on stream, adding a combined 40 MW of baseload capacity.
By the end of 2024, a total of 147 geothermal electricity plants were in operation across Europe, and plans for around 50 additional geothermal power plants are in various stages of development.
But EGEC expects to see an “exponential increase” in the number of wells to be drilled during 2025. This is due to the high number of geothermal energy projects that are currently in development across Europe – including around 50 power plants and more than 500 district heating and cooling (DHC) projects – as well as continued growth in the number of exploration campaigns being launched.
“The last few years have not been easy for the geothermal sector, with unstable energy prices and high interest rates deterring investors,” said Miklos Antics, EGEC’s President. “But now we are starting to see signs of revival, notably in terms of new drilling activities linked to geothermal energy projects, including new power plants as well as heating and cooling plants.”
According to the report, the last two years have seen steady growth in the number and extent of exploration activities being undertaken in Europe. In 2024, a record of more than 17 surveys were conducted, compared to only 10 in 2023. At least 10 3D seismic campaigns were started in the first half of 2025, with multiple surveys announced for later in the year to continue this growth.
The geothermal DHC sector also experienced steady growth, it noted, with 10 new systems launched — three in Poland, two in the UK, and one each in France, Greece, Romania, Spain, and the Netherlands. This brought the total number of operational GeoDHC systems in Europe to 412, with plans for around 500 additional projects under development.
However, geothermal heat pumps (HP) saw a significant drop in sales in 2024 across all European countries except Switzerland, attributed to a lack of favourable regulations and policies.
However, EGEC said that it is hopeful the upcoming European Geothermal Action Plan will contribute to creating more favourable conditions for the growth of the geothermal HP market. “We are optimistic that geothermal energy will finally be recognised as a cornerstone of a sustainable, resilient and carbon-neutral energy future for Europe,” added Antics.
EGEC’s Secretary-General, Philippe Dumas, highlighted the significance of the European Geothermal Action Plan, which is due to be launched in 2026.
“We are seeing positive signs of growth in terms of exploration activities, and also in the numbers of new geothermal energy projects that are currently in development across Europe,” he said.
“However, the rate of growth will also depend on having a favourable financial, regulatory and policy framework that encourages investments in geothermal projects. Therefore, the highly anticipated European Geothermal Action Plan…will have a vital role to play, notably in terms of ensuring simpler permitting procedures for new projects.”