Investing in innovation: Unlocking the full potential of geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe

The document advocates for the deployment of next-generation geothermal systems in Central and Eastern Europe to provide baseload carbon-free electricity and heat. It highlights superhot rock (SHR) geothermal as a high-temperature resource that can deliver 5-10x more power per well than traditional methods. The author calls for a comprehensive EU Geothermal Action Plan by Q1 2026 and increased R&D funding to reduce project costs, which are projected to fall by 80% over the next decade. It specifically identifies Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, and Hungary as countries well-positioned to benefit from combined high-temperature heat and power projects.

• Next-generation geothermal technologies, including enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and closed-loop/advanced geothermal systems (AGS), allow for the extraction of heat from hot dry rock or closed boreholes, making geothermal energy viable almost anywhere.
• Superhot rock (SHR) geothermal resources, defined as temperatures ≥374°C, can potentially increase power output per well by 5 to 10 times and enable the use of ultra-efficient turbines, lowering the cost of 24/7 carbon-free electricity.
• The potential for superhot geothermal in Europe is vast; utilizing just 1% of these resources could generate approximately 18,000 TWh of electricity, which is equivalent to powering more than 1,400 cities the size of Berlin.
• Geothermal energy provides significant environmental and economic advantages, including releasing 99% less CO₂ than fossil fuel plants of the same size and a projected 80% reduction in project costs over the next ten years.
• To unlock this potential, the document recommends that Central and Eastern European member states push for an EU Geothermal Action Plan in Q1 2026, increase R&D funding, and incentivize combined heat and power projects in countries such as Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, and Hungary.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Investing in innovation: Unlocking the full potential of geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/02102439/shr-cee-fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Investing in innovation: Unlocking the full potential of geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/02102439/shr-cee-fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Investing in innovation: Unlocking the full potential of geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/02102439/shr-cee-fact-sheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendinvesting, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Investing in innovation: Unlocking the full potential of geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/02102439/shr-cee-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }