Brussels, 6th January 2024 – The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) welcomes the European Commission’s Communication on the climate target 2040. However, we are concerned that Communication and modelling do not provide adequate coverage of the requirements for heat decarbonisation and overlook the vital role of geothermal heating, cooling, electricity, storage (thermal and electrical) or sustainable lithium extraction.
Geothermal must be recognised as a key solution for the defossilised energy sector because it is local, abundant, sustainable and resilient from external supply-chain pressures.
Geothermal must be recognised as a key solution for the decarbonised energy sector, a unique renewable energy.
It is essential to accelerate the mass deployment of market-ready geothermal technologies. We call on the European Commission to bring forward the EU geothermal strategy demanded by the European Parliament, as it is essential to growing the European workforce and domestic supply chains and reducing everyone’s energy costs.
“It is impossible to meet the 2040 climate targets without mass deployment of geothermal, this unique renewable energy“, says Philippe Dumas, EGEC Secretary-General. “Ignoring geothermal has resulted in an expensive and doubtful modelling exercise rather than the inclusive, rapid and cheapest pathway to climate neutrality.”