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European Geothermal
Energy Council
Objectives
Who is egec ?
The Voice of the Geothermal
Sector in Europe
development and implementation in the field of geothermal
The aims of our organisation are to promote the use of
energy use throughout Europe, and to foster Inter-European
geothermal energy, as follows :
cooperation.
Promote the market deployment of geothermal energy in
By disseminating, through publications, meetings, discussions
Europe and the export of European geothermal technology,
or any other activity, the use of geothermal energy, as well as
services and equipment to other parts of the world.
its marketing, and to forward information on products and
By exercising appropriate actions among European institutions
to implement a legal and institutional framework and
services to authorities, industry, and the public at large.
By publicising, at European level, the opinions of researchers,
fiscal instruments allowing geothermal sources to compete
engineers, managers, and any other commentators or proponents
on the use of geothermal energy, and bringing them
with conventional energy systems, and to secure economic
support in consideration of the environmental benefits.
to the attention of governments, national and international
By encouraging R&D in the field of geothermal utilisation organisations, decision makers, and the public at large.
of the existing resources in Europe and allowing the public
at large to access to the R&D results and maximise the
utilisation of this renewable energy.
By representing the interests of the European geothermal
energy industry and users to governments and international
organisations, with a view to improving business
conditions for the industry.
By co-operating with national geothermal associations, and
in particular with the International Geothermal Association
(IGA) and its European branch, and with any other asso-
EGEC, the European Geothermal Energy Council, was founded in 1998 as an international
non-profit association in Brussels. Its office is based nearby the European Institutions.
EGEC has now members from 20 different European countries
EGEC is a member of EREC, the European Renewable Energy Council,
which groups together all main European renewable energy industry
and research associations under one roof, in the Renewable Energy House.
EGEC is also a member of the International Geothermal Association (IGA).
ciations promoting research and application of renewable
energy sources, in order to join forces to achieve successful
Contact details of EGEC
Contact details of EREC
European Geothermal Energy Council
European Renewable Energy Council
Renewable Energy House
Renewable Energy House
Rue d’Arlon 63-67 • 1040 Brussels • Belgium
Rue d’Arlon 63-67 • B-1040 Brussels • Belgium
Printed on ecologically friendly paper (chlorine free paper) - Design ACG Brussels
Photo credits: EGEC, IGA
Geothermal energy :
from the earth, a renewable energy resource
delivering heat and power 24 hours a day
throughout the year, an energy resource nearly
infinite and available all over the world.
geothermal energy
T: + 32 2 400 10 24 F: + 32 2 400 10 10
T: +32 2 546 1933 F: +32 2 546 1934
E: info@egec.org I: www.egec.org
E: erec@erec.org I: www.erec.org

Per definition, geothermal energy is the energy stored in form of heat below
the earth’s surface. It has been used since antique times for heating, and for
about 100 years also for electricity generation. Its potential is inexhaustible in
human terms, comparable to that of the sun. Beside electric power generation, geothermal
energy is today used for district heating, as well as for heating (and cooling)
of individual buildings, including offices, shops, small residential houses, etc.
Geothermal-generated electricity was first produced
at Larderello, Italy, in 1904. Iceland, Italy, Turkey and
France are the leading countries in Europe today.
The largest geothermal district heating systems within Europe can be found in the Paris area in France, with
Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and others showing a substantial number of interesting
geothermal district heating systems. Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Austria are the leading countries in
terms of market for geothermal heat pumps in Europe.
State of the art technology
Enhanced Geothermal System
Geothermal power
Today, geothermal power plants exist on
every continent, at any place were reservoirs
of steam or hot water can be found. They
produce, with conventional technology, 820
MW of electric power in the EU, around the
clock. The relevant resources are far from
being fully developed, also in Europe. The
concept of Enhanced Geothermal Systems
(including the classical Hot-Dry-Rock-idea)
is going to add a tremendous increase to
the potential.
Power plant
Geothermal energy:
the floor is yours !
Geothermal District Heating
District Heating Network
Deep and directly
The earth is full of energy. And virtually
any temperature level in the underground
can be used directly, for instance with deep
boreholes. Did you know, that through
deep boreholes almost 4500 MWth yet
are installed in Europe? 4500 MWth for a
clean environment. However, here again is
valid: Only a small fraction of the resources
is used currently.
Borehole heat
exchangers
The shallow geothermal
family
Virtually every temperature level in the
underground can be used for geothermal
energy, even if this means only ca. 3-15
°C, as usual in the shallow underground
in European climate. In most cases a heat
pump is required here, and cooling can be
supplied as well as heating. This technology
provides again about 4500 MWth of
heating capacity.
Geothermal energy:
a local answer,
ecological and efficient,
to reduce energy costs
A renewable energy:
an energy resource nearly infinite, delivering heat
and power 24 hours a day throughout the year,
and available all over the world
energy supply by making use of the immense
internal heat of the earth, and of the large
thermal storage capacity of the ground
friendly for the environment: contribution
to the reduction of CO 2 emissions
very low visual impact - most of the infrastructure
can be hidden beneath the ground
Development
potential of
geothermal
energy: today
and for the future
Concerning geothermal power production, the
installed electrical capacity in the European Union
alone totalled about 850 MWe in 2007, producing
more than 9000 GWh of electricity (with an excellent
average load factor of 77 %!)
In 2006, a total of more than 2 Mtoe has been supplied
by geothermal heating alone. At the end of 2006, the
thermal capacity amounted to 9 000 MWth. Unlike
the other renewable energy sectors, geothermal sector
growth is on the right track for reaching the EU
White Paper objectives outlined for 2010.
Roadmap: priorities for geothermal energy
The technology evolution can be expected in both sectors,
power and heat, and towards increasing the usable geothermal
potential, improving plant efficiency, and decreasing
installation and operational costs:
Enhanced geothermal Systems for Power
and Combined Heat & Power
“Classical” geothermal power and low/medium
temperature power production
MWel
MWth
Electricity
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
A safe and controlled technology:
not depending on climatic conditions
proven and controlled technically: design, drillings,
components (power plants, district heating, heat pumps)
excellent feedback from leading countries
An energy adaptable with high performance:
an answer to different energy needs:
electric power, heating, cooling, hot water
modulated according to type of resource, to size and
nature of equipments, and in order to meet demands
for the heating sector: adaptable to old or new
buildings, large or small, individual or district heating
An economically sustainable energy:
White paper
starting point
1995
White paper
starting point
large reduction of energy invoice
long-term durability of installations
not sensitive to conventional energy prices -
the earth will not send an invoice!
2000
Heating & Cooling
1995
1996
1997
1998
Current
trend
2005
Current
trend
Geothermal district heating
Shallow geothermal & geothermal heat pumps
2010
Miscellaneous: innovative concept
(agriculture, drying…), desalination,
absorption cooling, storage of heat or cold,
advanced control systems
EGEC target
2020
EGEC target
2010 White paper
target
1999
2000
2003
2004
2005
2020
EGEC target
2010
White paper
target
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
EGEC target
2020
2020
geothermal energy