EU Action Plan on Geothermal Energy: An opportunity to champion innovative clean energy generation pathways

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) advocates for the European Commission to prioritize next-generation geothermal technologies—such as Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS), closed-loop systems (Advanced Geothermal Systems), and superhot rock systems—within the EU Action Plan on Geothermal Energy. These technologies, which access heat from deeper and hotter crustal layers (above 374°C), offer higher energy density and can be deployed more widely than traditional geothermal energy. CATF recommends a bold R&D agenda, the establishment of financial risk-sharing mechanisms via the European Investment Bank, the creation of a standardized permitting template based on Germany's Geothermal Acceleration Law, and the development of an EU-wide geothermal data repository to attract private capital and accelerate deployment by the early 2030s.

• Next-generation geothermal technologies, including Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS), closed-loop systems (Advanced Geothermal Systems or AGS), and deep drilling innovations, differ from traditional geothermal by accessing deeper and hotter parts of the earth's crust and do not rely on shallow, naturally occurring hot water pockets.
• Superhot rock systems, a subset of EGS and AGS, target conditions above 374°C and can potentially produce up to ten times the energy of lower-temperature geothermal wells due to higher energy density and the ability of superhot fluids to penetrate rock.
• The EU has demonstrated leadership in high-temperature and pressure testing through Horizon 2020 projects such as DEEPEGS, DESCRAMBLE, and GEMex, though accessing superhot rock globally requires further advancements in drilling and reservoir development.
• To advance these technologies, CATF recommends that the EU implement several measures: funding field testing and pilot projects by 2030, expanding R&D grants for materials and drilling, creating a risk-sharing facility with the European Investment Bank (EIB), adopting a standardized permitting template based on Germany's Geothermal Acceleration Law, and establishing a public EU-wide geothermal data repository.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). EU Action Plan on Geothermal Energy: An opportunity to champion innovative clean energy generation pathways. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/02160257/CATF-EU-Action-Plan-on-Geothermal-Energy.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. EU Action Plan on Geothermal Energy: An opportunity to champion innovative clean energy generation pathways. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/02160257/CATF-EU-Action-Plan-on-Geothermal-Energy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=EU Action Plan on Geothermal Energy: An opportunity to champion innovative clean energy generation pathways |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/02160257/CATF-EU-Action-Plan-on-Geothermal-Energy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cleanairtaskforcendaction, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{EU Action Plan on Geothermal Energy: An opportunity to champion innovative clean energy generation pathways}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/02160257/CATF-EU-Action-Plan-on-Geothermal-Energy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }