Europe

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 11th July 2025

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.”

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 7 July, 2025

Stadtwerke München (SWM) and Energiewende Garching (EWG) has begun preparations for geophysical surveys in the greater Munich area, encompassing a distance of approximately 1,100km2, nine districts and over 60 municipalities.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 7 July, 2025

ignis H2 Energy has signed an agreement for a 2+2 deep geothermal well drilling contract with GEOPET Drilling Services, marking a major milestone in the company’s renewable expansion into Türkiye.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 26 June 2025

The Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency (CHA) has confirmed geothermal energy potential in the Velika Gorica area following recent exploration work.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 16 June, 2025

Arverne Group has announced the commencement of geothermal drilling activities in Schwabwiller through its subsidiary, Lithium de France

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 13th June 2025

Geothermal energy is becoming a buzzword in the travel industry as luxury hotels and resort companies seek to showcase their environmental and sustainability credentials to holidaymakers.

JW Marriott has just opened in Greece with the unveiling of the JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa, which boasts geothermal-based heating systems, among other sustainability measures.

“The resort has been thoughtfully constructed with sustainability at its core,” the company said in a statement, “from geothermal and solar energy systems to heat recovery from air conditioning for hot water, and the use of treated grey water for irrigation.”

Greywater refers to household wastewater that originates from sources like showers, bathtubs, sinks and washing machines, and and can be reused for non-potable purposes.

Nestled in Marathi, near the town of Chania on the island of Crete, the resort spans over 100 acres of idyllic coastline, and is designed to harmonise with  the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of the landscape.

“This commitment to environmental responsibility has guided every aspect of the resort’s development, resulting in a destination that not only seamlessly blends with its surroundings, but is also deeply shaped by them,” JW Marriott stated.

Another of the group’s properties, Italy’s Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort in Tuscany, also incorporates geothermal features and treatments as part of its spa offerings.

Around the globe, luxury hotels utilising geothermal energy can similarly be found in destinations including Switzerland, notably its plush mountainous Zermatt resort, and, of course, Iceland.

“The opening of JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa marks a milestone moment for the brand with its entrance into Greece,” added Bruce Rohr, Vice President and Global Brand Leader, JW Marriott.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 10 June, 2025

OMV has announced a major seismic survey to begin in December 2025, aiming to assess the geothermal potential of the East Styrian basin, specifically in the greater Graz region.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 29th May 2025

Denmark’s Innargi has outlined progress at its Aarhus geothermal project with Kredsløb, which supplies district heating to 330,000 people in the municipality.

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

Global investor Legal & General (L&G) has finalised a US$50mn investment with Landsvirkjun, Iceland’s National Power Company, through L&G's Institutional Retirement business.  

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 22 May, 2025

There exist numerous geothermal technologies exhibiting varying levels of maturity, that can operate on different ranges of temperature. 

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 16th May 2025

Energy services group SPIE has taken on the operational management of a geothermal power plant in Bavaria, Germany, believed to be the first of its kind worldwide.

The facility is thought to be the world’s first commercial geothermal power plant that uses deep geothermal rock, rather than thermal water, to generate district heating and electricity.

“This makes SPIE part of a major project in the renewable energy market segment,” the company noted in a statement.

The project, commissioned by Eavor Erdwärme Geretsried GmbH & Co KG, will supply the town of Geretsried in southern Germany and the surrounding region.

SPIE will advise the customer on the legally compliant marketing and commissioning of individual plant components and will subsequently assume responsibility for the technical operation and maintenance of the geothermal power plant’s above-ground systems.

This also includes maintenance of parts of the ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) system, which uses surplus heat to produce CO2-low electricity.

The intention is to ensure maximum plant availability and operational reliability with a 24/7 on-call service.

“To meet the complexity of this highly innovative plant, we offer our customer a flexible service model that adapts to changing needs throughout the entire contract term,” said Aaron Eißner, Sales Manager in the Efficient Facilities operational division at SPIE Germany Switzerland Austria.

The power generation process will start operations in the autumn, while district heating production is currently in the planning stage.

Once the district heating station has been completed, SPIE will also take over its operational management and ensure plant availability.

The Eavor-Loop is a geothermal power plant with a closed-loop system, comparable to a giant underground radiator.

Two drilling rigs bore vertically to a depth of 4,500 metres, where the wells are then deflected horizontally to create 12 parallel branches, each between 3,000 and 3,500 metres long.

Each loop thus comprises around 80 kilometres of borehole.

The fluid injected from above is naturally heated in the lower section of the system as it passes through the deep rock before rising to the surface without the need for additional pumps, thanks to the thermosiphon effect.

The heat is then extracted via a heat exchanger and can be used directly for district heating networks or electricity generation.

“Geothermal energy is a natural, stable and reliable source of renewable energy,” said Stefan Schusterschitz, General Manager of the Efficient Facilities operational division at SPIE Germany Switzerland Austria.

“With our technical expertise, we are helping to drive this innovation forward in Germany and to establish a key technology for the renewable energy mix of the future.”

The plant in Geretsried is already the third geothermal facility in Bavaria managed by SPIE, following those in Dürrnhaar and Kirchstockach.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: 13 May, 2025

Veolia, Europe’s decarbonizing energy leader, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Star Energy to jointly develop large-scale geothermal heating solutions in the UK.