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.
This continent-wide tool aims to support ambitious renewable energy goals by making geothermal resources more visible, accessible, and actionable.
Geothermal energy, the heat stored naturally within the Earth's crust, remains one of the world's most dependable and widely available renewable energy sources. With recent breakthroughs in drilling techniques and subsurface innovation, geothermal is rapidly becoming viable in regions once considered beyond reach.
Europe stands out globally for its long geothermal heritage and strong regulatory and technological foundations. The region has pioneered geothermal utilisation for decades, from Iceland's renowned geothermal systems powering electricity and heating, to district heating networks in France, Hungary and the Netherlands. GeoMap Europe builds on this established foundation, providing a powerful digital gateway to scale geothermal applications further and faster.
GeoMap Europe integrates millions of geological, structural and thermal data points to create the most complete, publicly accessible visualisation of subsurface heat available today. The platform illustrates where geothermal energy can support urban heating, stabilise digital infrastructure through cooling, and store renewable energy underground.
Key Insights from GeoMap Europe
High temperature power generation zones: These are identified across Iceland, Tuscany and Mount Amiata in Italy, Greece's Aegean volcanic arc, western Turkey, Hungary's Pannonian Basin and France's Massif Central and Alsace regions, areas well positioned to supply firm renewable electricity.
Strong district heating potential: Major cities including Paris, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, Warsaw, Hanover, Zurich, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Madrid can expand or establish geothermal heating networks to boost domestic and reliable heat supply.
Industrial heat opportunities: Northern Italy, Northern France and Germany's Nordrhein Westfalen region show strong alignment between geothermal resources and industrial clusters. These areas can leverage geothermal for direct process heat, steam generation and hybrid solutions with heat pumps, supporting decarbonisation across sectors such as chemicals, paper, food and beverage, and fuel production.
Data center cooling and subsurface storage: Germany's Upper Rhine Graben, northern France's Paris Basin, the Netherlands North Permian Basin and Hungary's Pannonia Basin offer promising prospects for geothermal driven cooling, waste heat reuse and underground energy storage to balance wind and solar variability.
"Geothermal is the sleeping clean energy giant that the world has consistently overlooked, while collectively handwringing about the future of energy," said Jamie Beard, Executive Director of Project InnerSpace. "If Europe moves quickly to launch its next chapter of geothermal development, energy independence and decarbonization are the dual prize. GeoMap Europe is the tool that will give developers, researchers, and governments a clear picture of where to get started."
GeoMap Europe follows previous platform releases covering Africa, Asia, North America, India, the Middle East, Oceania and South America. With this final addition, Project InnerSpace has completed the first phase of GeoMap, delivering a comprehensive and open access geothermal resource map for every global region.