Geothermal energy in Europe has enormous potential for the energy transition, equivalent to 35 times its current installed electricity capacity across all technologies.
Traditional geothermal depends on a rare combination of underground heat, water, and porous rock; conditions that naturally occur only in a few places, such as Iceland. Our Cleantech Analyst, Antoine Koen, summarizes the point: “With conventional geothermal alone, we will not get very far.”
Unleashing that potential requires innovation and investment. New drilling approaches aim to overcome this constraint. Technologies such as microwave drilling, laser drilling, and plasma drilling are being explored to break through hard rock and reach deeper geothermal resources that were previously inaccessible.
Learn more about how these emerging drilling technologies could reshape geothermal energy in this month’s article from Handelsblatt (in German) here. You can also read our Standpoint on the Potential of Next-Generation Geothermal for Heating in Europe.
This article is the latest in the series “Green ideas that might change the world” that Handelsblatt and Future Cleantech Architects co-developed to shed light on some of the most intensively debated cleantech innovations. We are pleased to provide scientific guidance to the series. Stay tuned for new releases!