EGEC, in collaboration with the Geosmart Project, successfully hosted the Geothermal Power 2024 conference in Brussels on July 3rd. Held at the Hotel Sofitel Brussels Europe, the event attracted over 100 participants, offering a platform for industry leaders, stakeholders, and policymakers to share insights and explore the future of geothermal energy.
Session 1 "Unlocking Geothermal Energy in Europe"
The opening session featured Viktor Horváth, Hungary's Deputy State Secretary for Energy Transition. Horváth emphasised advancing geothermal energy at European and national levels. The goal is to push the Geothermal Action Plan forward by the end of the Hungarian Presidency. Horváth emphasised the need to advance geothermal energy initiatives at both European and national levels, aiming to push the Geothermal Action Plan forward by the end of the Hungarian Presidency.
Daniel Mes from the European Commission (cabinet Commissioner Hoekstra for Climate Action) highlighted the importance of creating a strong economic case for geothermal energy, ensuring public acceptance, and promoting it as a global solution for energy transition.
Session 2: Challenges and Opportunities for Geothermal Power in the EU
Luca Xodo, Global Sales and Partnerships Director at STEAM S.r.l. and ETIP-Geothermal Chair opened the second session by addressing Italy's underutilisation of geothermal energy, noting that only 2% of its potential is currently used. He emphasised geothermal energy's resilience and job creation potential across Europe.
Sara Montomoli, Head of Geothermal Innovation from ENEL Green Power, discussed Italy's geothermal decline since 2015 and introduced innovative development solutions, focusing on regulatory stability, data availability, streamlined permitting, and risk reduction.
Robert Winsloe, Executive Vice President of Eavor Technologies Inc, revealed scalable geothermal technologies enabling significant resource deployment. Among other examples, he presented Romania's case, outlining a 5GW geothermal development plan by 2040.
Ural Halaçoğlu, R&D Manager from Zorlu Enerji, shared insights into Turkey's geothermal sector, which holds 11% of global installed capacity, and its potential to heat up to 5 million households despite recent geopolitical challenges.
Session 3: Market evolution and technology innovations in geothermal lithium
The third session centred on geothermal lithium, starting with Gerardo Herrera from the European Commission discussing strategic projects under CRMA and partnerships for critical raw materials.
Céline Domecq, Director of Public Affairs EU from Volvo Car Corporation, addressed the increasing demand for lithium in electric car batteries and Volvo's support for local, greener geothermal lithium sources.
Florian Anderhuber, Deputy Director General- Energy, Climate and Sustainability from Euromines, noted the role of EU support for funding exploration to reduce dependency and explained how CRMA addressed such bottlenecks as skills, innovation and permitting, enhancing geothermal energy's role in securing local raw material production.
Nazim Aliyev, VP Strategy from Vulcan Energy, highlighted the importance of security of supply amidst high demand, advocating for green & local geothermal lithium to meet Europe's needs efficiently. With demand set to rise, bridging the gap between consumers and producers is crucial.
Thibault de Saint-Vaulry, Business Development Manager for Europe from Geolith, showcased their advanced technology for lithium production, achieving over 90% lithium recovery with high purity.
Session 4: Enhancing competitiveness and regulatory framework for energy storage
Paula Rey Garcia from the European Commission opened the fourth and final session, discussing renewables and energy system integration. She highlighted the key role of energy storage and the need for flexibility to increase sevenfold by 2050 to meet the EU's new #EnergyTransition ambitions.
Joseph Piotrowski, Geothermal Technology Development Manager from Natuerlich Insheim GmbH, showcased the Natuerlich Insheim GmbH geothermal energy plant in Germany. He overviews the plant's process flow and regulatory framework, noting that lengthy permission processes for innovations hinder the energy transition.
Jakob Nies, Head of the Brussels Office from Stadtwerke München GmbH (SWM), showcased Munich's geothermal energy expansion aimed for 2040. He demonstrated how high-temperature excess heat can be used for winter district heating and presented various large-scale storage solutions
Aurélien Ballagny, Head of Policy from Energy Storage Coalition, highlighted the need for guidance on geothermal solutions and energy storage, emphasising the importance of effectively combining different tools. He warned that new, tailored strategies are needed for national energy storage plans to succeed.
Geothermal Power 2024 provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to engage with cutting-edge developments in geothermal energy and its integration into Europe's energy landscape, setting the stage for future collaborations and advancements in the sector.
