Europe

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.

Innargi has been granted a permit to explore and extract geothermal energy in Virum, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for its partnership with Vestforbrænding to supply new district heating areas with geothermal heat

Iceland is strengthening its position as a global leader in renewable energy with a fresh ISK 600 million investment dedicated to innovation and technological development in geothermal energy.

Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has teamed up with insurance giant, Munich Re, and KfW, the nation’s development finance institution, to launch a new financing package to promote geothermal energy for municipal and industrial heating.

A subsidiary of MVM has signed a HUF 7.86 billion contract for geothermal drilling and well-testing activities in the Kiskunhalas area, marking a significant step in Hungary’s renewable energy transition.

Maren Maras has officially commenced operations of two new geothermal power plants in Aydin, Türkiye, marking another significant milestone in the country’s renewable energy transition.