Mainstreaming geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe: Key takeaways from the Central European Energy Conference

The document outlines the potential for geothermal energy to decarbonize district heating in Central and Eastern Europe, identifying financing and risk as the primary bottlenecks. It highlights national strategies in Hungary, Croatia, Poland, and Slovakia, while advocating for the adoption of next-generation technologies and a unified regional voice to influence EU policy.

• Geothermal energy is viewed as a strategic backbone for decarbonizing district heating systems in Central and Eastern Europe, which are currently heavily reliant on biomass and natural gas. Current capacities include approximately 200 MW in Poland and over 80 MW across five cities in Croatia, while geothermal accounts for 6.5% of total heat production in Hungary.
• Financing is the primary obstacle to scaling the sector due to high upfront drilling risks and a lack of sufficient public risk-insurance schemes or guaranteed loans. The document suggests that Poland’s National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, which has supported geothermal for nearly 30 years, should serve as a model for other countries to leverage private capital.

APA

Lagurashvili, T., & Hill, J. (2025). Mainstreaming geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe: Key takeaways from the Central European Energy Conference. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2025/12/mainstreaming-geothermal-energy-central-eastern-europe-key-takeaways-central-european-energy-conference/

Chicago

Lagurashvili, Tamara, and Jenna Hill. Mainstreaming geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe: Key takeaways from the Central European Energy Conference. Clean Air Task Force, 2025. https://www.catf.us/2025/12/mainstreaming-geothermal-energy-central-eastern-europe-key-takeaways-central-european-energy-conference/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lagurashvili |first1=Tamara |last2=Hill |first2=Jenna |title=Mainstreaming geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe: Key takeaways from the Central European Energy Conference |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=10 December 2025 |url=https://www.catf.us/2025/12/mainstreaming-geothermal-energy-central-eastern-europe-key-takeaways-central-european-energy-conference/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lagurashvili2025mainstreaming, author = {Lagurashvili, Tamara and Hill, Jenna}, title = {{Mainstreaming geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe: Key takeaways from the Central European Energy Conference}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://www.catf.us/2025/12/mainstreaming-geothermal-energy-central-eastern-europe-key-takeaways-central-european-energy-conference/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }