Europe

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 24th March 2026

Expro is ready to deliver well testing services for the Schleidberg well in Vulcan Energy’s significant Lionheart Project.

• Date: 18th March 2026

The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) has broadly welcomed the new Clean Energy Investment Strategy announced this month by the European Commission but has urged for both public and private financing to be available for geothermal projects.

The group noted in a statement that it was pleased to see the emphasis on the need to de-risk investments in clean energy projects through the strategic use of public funds.

EGEC’s Secretary General, Philippe Dumas, also flagged the significance of the timing of the strategy, as energy prices spiked amid escalating conflict in Iran and across the Middle East.

“When it comes to energy policy, Europe must avoid the trap of always reacting to external shocks and lurching from crisis to crisis,” he said. “What we need is a strategic, long-term approach to support the transition away from imported fossil fuels towards renewable and decarbonised energy sources – with geothermal solutions playing a key role.”

He added: “Geothermal must be at the heart of Europe’s approach to providing clean electricity as well as heating and cooling, with security of supply and affordable prices for all energy consumers – from households to industries.”

Dumas said that geothermal canhelp to bring down energy costs for people and businesses, thereby strengthening the EU’s competitiveness.

“But, in order to access these benefits, we need a more encouraging environment for investment, with targeted European financial instruments that can leverage private capital."

He also called for a geothermal strategy and action plan at EU level with “ambitious targets” to support the roll-out of geothermal across member states, as well as a an industrial alliance to facilitate the sharing of best practice.

“The EU has a vital role to play when it comes to public funding and financing for geothermal energy projects,” said Dumas. "In this regard, we would like to see the European Commission develop a sectoral tripartite contract for geothermal energy, similar to those already announced in relation to offshore wind and energy storage under the umbrella of the Affordable Energy Action Plan."

The Commission’s proposals also include aCitizens Energy Package, to support the establishment of energy communities at local level and enable them to invest in geothermal heating and cooling networks.

“Reducing heating and cooling costs with secure supplies and stable prices benefits everyone, and is especially vital if we want to tackle energy poverty,” said Dumas.

Geothermal heating and cooling solutions, including district heating and cooling networks that utilise the stable temperatures found underground, can offer benefits including no pollution, zero emissions, extended lifetimes and low costs for operation and maintenance.

“The Citizens Energy Package should also enable fair competition between different energy sources, with an emphasis on long-term costs and affordability for consumers,” added Dumas, calling for a more level playing field.

Heating currently represents 50% of the EU’s overall energy consumption, 80% of the energy consumption for individual buildings, more than 50% of energy for commercial buildings and a large part of the energy consumption for industry and farmers, he noted.

“When installing a new heating and cooling system, consumers – from households and building owners to cities, industry or farmers – should be offered a choice between all heating sources that lets geothermal compete with other solutions on a level playing field that takes emissions and long-term running costs into account,” he added.

EGEC also underlined the importance of strengthening competition between energy technologies in heating and cooling markets, as emphasised in the Citizens Energy Package and to be highlighted in the upcoming Heating and Cooling Strategy.

• Date: 16th March 2026

Valencia is seeking to champion the use of geothermal energy in popular tourist attractions, with a landmark project beneath the Museu de les Ciencies, a well-known science destination in the southern Spanish city.

It has launched a landmark project with the deployment of a large-scale geothermal plant under the iconic museum, within the architectural complex of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciencies.

The commissioning of the installation is “imminent”, a statement published on openPR noted, marking what it called “a transformative milestone in the sustainable HVAC decarbonisation of major cultural infrastructure."

The geothermal project is led by Grupo Itecon, through its subsidiary DCL Geoenergia, and drawing on its proprietary DCL GEOENERGIA technology.

According to the statement, the development positions the Museu de les Ciencies as the largest cultural building in Europe to utilise geothermal energy powered by DCL GEOENERGIA technology.

With an installed thermal capacity of 4,050 kW, the plant will also become the largest geothermal installation in Valencia.

The DCL GEOENERGIA geothermal system, engineered and implemented by Grupo Itecon, is based on a high-efficiency field of 32 vertical geothermal boreholes, interconnected through a closed-loop hydraulic circuit.

The system leverages the stable subsurface temperature to provide efficient heating and cooling through ground-source heat exchange.

During the summer months, excess heat from the building is transferred into the ground, while in winter, thermal energy is extracted from the subsurface to supply heating.

“The result is a combustion-free, zero direct-emission HVAC solution, delivering energy stability, operational resilience and a significant reduction in fossil fuel dependency,” the statement added.

The installation is expected to generate annual energy savings over 1,013,000 kWh, while cutting around 335,000 kg of carbon emissions per year.

“These performance indicators position DCL GEOENERGIA technology as a strategic solution for the real decarbonisation of large public buildings and high-demand infrastructures,” the statement noted.

“The imminent commissioning of this geothermal plant represents not only a technical achievement but also a scalable industrial model applicable to airports, hospitals, commercial complexes, and large urban developments across Europe and beyond.”

• Date: 9th February 2026

US-based Teverra has announced a new partnership with Spain’s Earth Energy Explorers to support the development of the Melilla geothermal project in the Spanish autonomous city of Melilla.

Teverra is a leading subsurface solutions provider specialising in geothermal and subsurface energy technologies.

It will work alongside its Spanish partner at the project site in Melilla, an area situated on the North African coast, surrounded by Morocco and bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Under the collaboration, Earth Energy Explorers serves as the project developer, while Teverra will provide technical support, including subsurface characterisation, resource assessment, risk-reduction planning and technical advisory services to support geothermal exploration and development.

“We are excited to partner with Earth Energy Explorers on the Melilla Geothermal Project,” said Randal Wichuk, CEO of Teverra.

“Geothermal presents a powerful opportunity to deliver secure and dispatchable baseload power while occupying minimal land and supporting grid stability. Our team is proud to support this important initiative through advanced subsurface analysis and de-risking approaches that improve predictability and success across the project lifecycle.”

The successful development of geothermal energy in Melilla could play a strategic role in the territory by strengthening energy security and independence, reducing reliance on imported fuels, and enabling a stable baseload renewable energy source.

A Teverra statement noted that the region’s geologic setting and subsurface heat conditions provide “promising potential” for geothermal exploration and a low-carbon energy resource that can serve both power, heating and cooling needs.

The project also reflects a growing momentum across Europe and the Mediterranean to accelerate geothermal as a scalable and reliable renewable energy resource.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Teverra as our consulting partner,” said Carlos Diaz, Partner and Technical Director of Earth Energy Explorers.

“Teverra brings deep technical expertise in subsurface geomechanics and geothermal development. Their support strengthens our ability to systematically evaluate the resource, reduce drilling and development risk, and accelerate the pathway toward a successful geothermal project in Melilla.”

The statement added that the partnership supports “a shared commitment to enabling the energy transition through cutting-edge subsurface technology, data-driven decision-making, and robust engineering workflows that reduce uncertainty and enhance project bankability.”

Reykjavík University and Iceland’s national power company Landsvirkjun have taken a major step forward in clean energy innovation by jointly filing a patent application with the European Patent Office for a breakthrough geothermal technology.

A new European Union funded initiative is set to transform the way industry produces heat by placing geothermal energy at the centre of large scale heat pump solutions.

The UK’s geothermal sector is looking towards Cornwall to lead the way on its development following a new proposal made at the start of the year to revolutionise deep geothermal.

Szeged, Hungary, has officially completed its ambitious geothermal district heating project, marking a major milestone in sustainable urban energy solutions.

In Germany, Green Therma and Helmholtz-Zentrum für Geoforschung (GFZ Potsdam) are gearing up to test a technology that could reshape how the world accesses one of its most powerful, yet underused, renewable energy sources: deep geothermal heat.

The location is a quiet research site north of Berlin, beneath the forests of Groß Schönebeck, where scientists have explored the Earth’s heat for decades.

In 2026, the site will host the world’s first installation of Green Therma’s vacuumised pipe completion (DualVac), a new kind of deep geothermal well design engineered to transport heat from more than 3 km below the surface with minimal heat loss.

For the first time, a DualVac completion with a continuous vacuum insulation — used in cutting-edge industrial applications — will be applied inside a single-well co-axial geothermal system.

If it performs as expected, it could dramatically increase the efficiency of deep geothermal operations and unlock renewable heat resources in locations previously considered too challenging or costly.

For Denmark-based Green Therma, it is a moment that has been years in the making.

“This project represents a milestone in geothermal energy extraction technology,” says Jørgen Peter Rasmussen, Founder and CEO at Green Therma.

“By demonstrating DualVac insulation performance at Groß Schönebeck, we are taking a major step toward making deep geothermal heat accessible, efficient, and scalable on a global level.”

The installation will reach depths of over 3 km, where temperatures are above 100 degrees.

Over the course of a year-long test, the system will be measured, monitored and challenged — generating data that could accelerate the deployment of deep geothermal as a local, reliable and carbon-neutral heat source.

For GFZ Potsdam, Germany’s national research centre for earth sciences, the project is another example of how research infrastructure can drive real-world progress in energy transition.

“Close cooperation between industry and research is essential for developing next-generation geothermal solutions,” said Prof. Dr. Ingo Sass, Head of the Geoenergy Section at GFZ Potsdam.

“Partnerships like this are crucial for moving geothermal energy forward.”

According to Green Therma, if the DualVac system proves successful, it could meaningfully lower the barriers to deploying deep geothermal solutions in cities, industrial regions and cold climates.

The collaboration forms part of the European TRANSGEO initiative, which brings together partners from five countries to explore how existing wells across the continent can be repurposed for geothermal heat extraction and storage.

“Groß Schönebeck is one of the places where Europe tests what tomorrow’s geothermal systems could look like,” said Prof. Dr. Hannes Hofmann, TRANSGEO Coordinator.

“The knowledge generated here could help expand geothermal energy in regions that need scalable, clean heat.”

Interpipe, a Ukraine-based manufacturer of steel pipes and railway products, has supplied OCTG pipes for a geothermal energy project in Slovakia.

Eavor Technologies has positioned itself as a global leader in scalable geothermal power with the first commercial project of its kind in the world — a closed-loop system delivering power to the grid in Geretsried, Germany.

As Europe accelerates its clean energy transition, geothermal energy is re-emerging as a powerful driver of sustainable growth.