Deep geothermal Implementation Working Group

The Implementation Working Group for deep geothermal (DG IWG) brings together European countries and regions, the geothermal industry and researchers focusing on geothermal energy.  

Geothermal energy is a valuable and local source of energy that can provide, in a cost-effective way, baseload/dispatchable electricity, heat or a combination of both. In addition, geothermal reservoirs can also act as storage sites.  

The DG IWG is pursuing the SET Plan goals of placing Europe as a leader in the low- carbon energy scene.  

The DG IWG’s primary goal is to carry out the Deep geothermal implementation plan (IP),  endorsed by the SET Plan Steering Committee. The DG IWG is the driving force behind development and deployment of geothermal energy technologies throughout Europe. 

The DG IWG’s work is structured around the following objectives:  

• establishing the IWG as a permanent network of geothermal stakeholders by involving both industry and academia in carrying out, regularly updating and monitoring the IP  
• ensuring the IP is carried out appropriately by linking the EU, national and regional public and private funds to geothermal research & innovation (R&I) priorities as described in the IP 
• keeping the IP up to date so it can always be a reference document for the development of the geothermal energy sector 
• carrying out the IP in cooperation with the European Commission, on the basis of the mechanisms and key performance indicators to be agreed within the IWG and the SET Plan Steering Group. 

For more information, see the IWG support unit (SU DG IWG) brochure.  

The DG IWG’s work contributes to the following EU policy objectives: 

• Fit for 55%: all R&I actions listed in the IP support the EU’s objectives in the ‘Fit for 55%’ legislative package 
• Renovation wave: reflected in the first R&I action of the IP – ‘Geothermal heat in urban areas’ 
• System integration: covered by IWG DG work on the topic of ‘integration and flexibility R&I action’ 
• Sustainable batteries: addressed in the ‘full reinjection’ R&I action 
• Revision TEN-E: covered by the R&I actions on ‘Urban areas and Integration & flexibility’ 
• Sustainable finance: addressed by the non-technical enabling R&I action on sustainable development. 

The 2020 update of the Deep geothermal implementation plan identifies the following R&I priorities:  

A. geothermal heat in urban areas 

B. integrating geothermal electricity and heating & cooling into the energy system, responding to grid and network demands 

C. improving the overall performance of geothermal energy conversion for electricity and heating & cooling generation 

D. integrating closed loop electric and heating & cooling plants into the circular economy 

E. sustainable and efficient production technologies 

F. developing and benefiting from geothermal resources in a wider range of geological settings 

G. advanced drilling/well completion techniques 

H. innovative exploration techniques for assessing resources and defining drilling targets. 

The following priorities support the DG IWG’s initial targets and are outlined in the SET Plan declaration of intent on deep geothermal:  

• increasing reservoir performance, resulting in power demand of reservoir pumps below 10% of gross energy generation and in sustainable yield predicted for at least 30 years by 2030 
• improving the overall conversion efficiency, including that of the bottoming cycle, of geothermal installations at different thermodynamic conditions by 10% in 2030 and 20% in 2050 
• reducing production costs of geothermal energy (including from unconventional resources, enhanced geothermal systems, and/or from hybrid solutions which couple geothermal with other renewable energy sources) to below 10 €ct/kWhel for electricity and 5 €ct/kWhth for heat by 2025 
• reducing exploration costs by 25% in 2025, and 50% in 2050 compared to 2015
• reducing the unit cost of drilling (€/MWh) by 15% in 2020, 30% in 2030 and 50% in 2050 compared to 2015 
• demonstrating the technical and economic feasibility of responding to commands from a grid operator, at any time, to increase or decrease output ramp up and down from 60% – 110% of nominal power. 

The DG IWG’s membership is composed of representatives from: 

• The European energy research alliance (EERA): EERA Joint Programme Geothermal Energy  
• European technology and innovation platforms (ETIPs): renewable heating and cooling (ETIP RHC) and deep geothermal (ETIP DG) 
• Industry: the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC). 

Source of the graph: the SU DG IWG brochure  

DG IWG Chair and Co-Chair: 

Gerdi Breembroek, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Chair DG IWG 

Fausto Batini, Chair ETIP DG, Co-Chair DG IWG 

The updated implementation plan for deep geothermal is available here. 

The DG IWG also provided several input papers on the EU’s energy system integration, the ‘Renovation Wave’, and offshore renewable energy strategy. 

More documents are available in the support unit for the Deep Geothermal Implementation Working Group website (project deliverables).  

Support Unit for the Deep Geothermal Implementation Working Group  

GEOTHERMICA  

EERA Geothermal  

ETIP DG  

ETIP RHC  

EGEC  

Website: www.deepgeothermal-iwg.eu    

Email: info@deepgeothermal-iwg.eu