TOWARDS MORE GEOTHERMAL ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN EUROPE

Geothermal power generation has its roots in Europe, where the first test in 1904 and the real beginning of power generation in 1913 took place, both at the Larderello dry steam field in Italy. Since then, the development of geothermal technology has been continuous and the total installed capacity in Europe currently amounts to 1.8 GWe, generating approximately 11.5 TWh of electric power every year. For a decade, thanks to the optimisation of the new binary system technology, geothermal electricity can be produced using lower temperatures than previously. Moreover, with Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), a breakthrough technology proven since 2007, geothermal power can in theory be produced anywhere in Europe. The main benefits of geothermal power plants are provision of base-load and flexible renewable energy, diversification of the energy mix, and protection against volatile and rising electricity prices. Using geothermal resources can provide economic development opportunities for countries in the form of taxes, royalties, technology export and jobs. The potential of geothermal energy is recognised by some EU Member States in their National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs). However, the actual potential is significantly larger. In order to increase awareness, GEOELEC - an IEE project co-financed by the EU and running between 2010 and 2013- has assessed and presented for the first time the economic potential in Europe in 2020, 2030 and 2050. The figures are quite impressive, showing the large potential of geothermal and the important role it can play in the future electricity mix.GEOELEC - IE