Geothermal Market Report for Europe

Abstract

EGEC publishes each year a market report to evaluate the development of the shallow and deep geothermal sector in Europe. The 2014 issue of this market report shows that interesting new projects have emerged. Some of the key findings are: •Electricity: Eight new power plants became operational in 2014, increasing the installed capacity in Europe by 170 MWe. The total installed capacity in Europe is now more than 2000 MWe, producing some 12 TWh of electric power in 2013. •District Heating: Eight new systems have been installed in four European countries this year, increasing the installed capacity by 76.2 MWth. The total installed capacity in Europe is now ca. 4500 MWth, with 13000 GWh th/year used for heating. •Shallow Geothermal: For shallow geothermal energy (ground source heat pumps and Underground Thermal Energy Storage), the installation growth rate is spectacular; a capacity of at least 17, 700 MWth was achieved at end of 2013, distributed in over more than 1.3Mio installations. Moreover, this report summarises the existing financial support schemes for geothermal electricity and heating & cooling in Europe. In the whole debate, the potential of geothermal energy does not yet receive enough attention. We need a stronger focus on geothermal as a reliable contribution helping to reach Europe’s climate and energy targets. With this market report, EGEC calls again for a level playing field, and the recognition of geothermal advantages: being a renewable, local, base load, and flexible source of energy.