Irish MEP Seán Kelly says Ireland must stop talking about its geothermal potential and start delivering projects, arguing that implementation of the country’s geothermal policy has already taken too long.
A keynote speaker at the European Geothermal District Heating & Cooling Conference held in Dublin this month, he highlighted the geopolitical pressures and broad industry context that had heightened the urgency for geothermal energy.
“More than 90% of Irish heat demand was still being met by fossil fuels in 2024, with renewables accounting for only 7.9% of heat consumption,” he said.
“We are very exposed and vulnerable.”Geothermal energy could provide a solution, he said, referencing the publication of the European Commission’s new Electrification Action Plan, which he described as “one of the most consequential pieces of European energy policy in this Commission’s mandate.”
In his full speech, posted to the website of the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC), Kelly said there is a “great opportunity” for Ireland to learn from the experiences of other European countries to advance its own geothermal sector.
“There are lessons from projects that succeeded and from those that did not, and there is a great opportunity for Ireland to learn from that experience and apply it rapidly at home,” he told the conference.
Kelly also flagged Ireland’s 2023 geothermal policy that has not yet been fully implemented.
“An opportunity is nothing without action,” he said.
“Three years is too long for a policy statement on a valuable indigenous energy resource to be sitting on a shelf awaiting full implementation, particularly when the geopolitical context has changed so dramatically around us.”
Kelly said that every major new public building and significant public-sector heating retrofit should at least be asking the question: has geothermal been properly assessed?
“We need to put in place the required frameworks and supports to get this sector moving.”
Amid lofty ambitions, both from the European Commission and in Dublin, he urged for great action.
“We need to show ambition here and deliver.”