Within the framework of the implementation of clean and renewable energy, there is an urgent need to develop a strategy that stimulates the development of geothermal energy in Europe. For this reason, the European Parliament recently issued a resolution with 60 recommendations promoting the use of geothermal energy
Geothermal energy in Europe
The Spanish Geothermal Association, GEOENERGÍA, celebrates and supports the position taken by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) during its October plenary session, which highlights the crucial role of geothermal energy in the ecological transition of the European Union and the urgent need for a European strategy for its development.
In an opinion by committee members Zsolt Kükedi and Thomas Kattnig, the EESC underlines that geothermal energy is a renewable energy source with extremely low greenhouse gas emissions and the ability to provide continuous energy regardless of climatic conditions. They point out that geothermal energy can make an important contribution to this European energy autonomy and to the 2050 climate neutrality targets.
Likewise, they believe that “its potential has not been exploited and the European Commission must act immediately to develop a global strategy to take advantage of the resources it offers.” For the EESC, the investments in geothermal power plants will not work without financial assistance at the national level, which also requires public funding and incentives to attract and reduce the risks of initial investments.
From GEOENERGY we support the EESC’s recommendation to the European Commission to formulate a strategy that will allow taking advantage of Europe’s geothermal potential, which is currently underutilized. This strategy should include incentives and financial support, as well as coordinated planning among Member States, which should prioritize geothermal energy in their policies. initiatives aimed at decarbonizing the economy.
The EESC opinion is in line with the European Parliament’s resolution of 18 January on energy geothermal, which was published last October 17. The resolution states that the energy geothermal “can contribute to the objectives of the REPowerEU plan and will play a crucial role in increasing the flexibility and efficiency of the energy sector and reducing its environmental footprint.” At the same time, it agrees that its potential has not been sufficiently exploited and transfers a total of sixty issues to the European Commission, between contextualization and recommendations, for the deployment of geothermal energy on the continent.
The European strategy for geothermal energy
The energy geothermal can play a fundamental role in rreducing dependence on fossil fuels and the volatility of prices in a European energy market, influenced by foreign countries. It is a constant source of energy that is not only useful for the generation of electricity, but also unbeatable for the air conditioning of buildings.
For GENERGÍA, the adoption of a European strategy cannot be postponed, as the development of geothermal energy will continue without realizing its full potential without coordinated action. For this reason, GEOENERGY joined a joint international petition from the sector in June, led by the European Energy Council. Geothermal (EGEC Geothermal), which demanded a strategy from the European Commission and a European action plan for geothermal energy.
In this request, addressed to President Ursula von der Leyen, the following proposals are collected:
- A target of 250 GW of geothermal energy by 2040 in the field of electricity, heating and cooling (district heating and cooling systems, geothermal electricity grids and heat pumps). geothermal autonomous), for use in public, residential and commercial buildings, agriculture, power generation, transport and manufacturing sectors.
- Harmonization and development of new support systems, including cross-border financial risk guarantees.
- Support for the Geothermal Industrial Alliance.
- Accessibility of energy demand and geological dataS.
- Qualification of employeesmunicipal network planners and licensing authorities.
- Strengthening innovation and leadership of the national manufacturing industry.
The Geothermal energy is one of the renewable energy sources invested to develop the implementation of this resource in Europe. The GEOENERGY initiative responds to this growing trend in the EU.