Europe

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

In his general policy statement made to the National Assembly last week, the French Prime Minister Jean-François Bayrou stated he believes that geothermal, along with nuclear energy, will be important elements for the country’s low-carbon strategy towards the energy transition.

The Prime Minister said during his address, “Ecology is not the problem. This is the solution. The effort to be made on this crucial subject, this adaptation, France has started it better than any country in the world. For me, this is a priority, an ardent obligation that must be pursued and expanded: plan the transition by finalising our low-carbon strategy; preserving our biodiversity; to produce, but in a carbon-free way, thanks to new technologies.

“I am thinking in particular of our energy policy. This policy has one goal: carbon-free energy accessible to all. To achieve this, nuclear is an essential axis, and geothermal energy, an inexhaustible reservoir of free calories under our feet, is also an essential one.”

The French Association of Geothermal Professionals expressed their support for the Prime Minister’s statement via social media, commenting, “These words can only encourage all players in the geothermal sector to continue their daily action for the development of this carbon-free solution capable of producing heating and cooling in our buildings.”

In December 2023, France’s Ministry of Energy Transition published the finalised action plan to accelerate the development of the geothermal energy sector with the aim to support the development of the clean energy source to meet renewable heating and cooling targets for individual and collective buildings in the country. The plan is made up of 27 priority actions and 23 complementary actions aligned to eight different geothermal axes from regulatory framework to raising awareness and skillsets. The full plan can be found via this link.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

GeoGrid, a project devised to explore the benefits and applications of geothermal energy within the UK, has been awarded £3.7mn in funding through the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) to enhance energy efficiency and decarbonisation throughout the country.

Geosolutions Leeds will collaborate with Northern Powergrid, LCP Delta, E. ON Next, Leeds City Council and Star Refrigeration on the project in a bid to overcome the challenges presented by geothermal development and the energy transition, such as rising electricity demand, increasing costs and inefficiencies in the renewable sector.

Addressing demands

The GeoGrid project will use data from the University of Leeds’ Geothermal Campus living lab to further understand how long-term thermal energy storage can improve the UK energy system’s efficiency and sustainability as well as understand how the energy can be implemented on a bigger scale as a solution to the issues presented by the energy transition.

By integrating geothermal storage into the energy system, GeoGrid aims to lower network connection costs, reduce costly reinforcement and enhance grid resilience. The project will also aid in demonstrating how the interaction of geothermal systems with energy markets can strengthen the business case for district heating.

Dr Emma Bramham, Lecturer in Applied Geophysics and Structural Geology and GeoGrid Project Lead for the University of Leeds, said, “This innovative collaboration will use the University’s unique geothermal living lab facilities to explore new ways of improving energy system efficiency and sustainability.

“The ability to store excess renewable energy beneath the city’s streets will help make best use of green electricity resources and speed up the UK’s transition to net zero.”

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

The French industrial company Arverne Group, who specialise in the production of renewable underground resources, announced earlier this month that its subsidiary, Lithium de France, has agreed to acquire wellheads from global technology giant SLB for its geothermal project in Alsace.  

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

Nominations for the Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award came to an end last week, with applications currently being evaluated on grounds of originality, innovation, reliability, emission reductions, and improvements in energy output.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

Stellantis has unveiled a cutting-edge geothermal system at its manufacturing site in Caen, France, designed to provide sustainable heating and cooling solutions for the facility.

• Region: Turkey
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

Clean energy technology provider Exergy International has signed an agreement with Maren Maras Elektrik Uretim AS for the supply of two new geothermal power plants in Turkey.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

Geothermal energy is rapidly gaining recognition as a sustainable solution for both industrial and residential energy needs, offering significant environmental and economic benefits.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

Spurred by economies re-opening after the global pandemic and with fuel supply chains drastically affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK has been gripped by an energy crisis since the Autumn of 2021 with energy prices steadily climbing to reportedly be higher than all but three EU states.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

The European Union (EU) has made clear its position to wean itself off of Russian gas following the invasion of Ukraine and has made fair progress so far with the share of Russia’s pipeline gas in EU imports dropping from more than 40% in 2021 to around 8% in 2023.

• Region: Europe
• Topics: Geothermal
• Date: Jan, 2025

The potential of geothermal energy increases the further down a project goes, allowing it to access hotter resources.