Enhanced geothermal systems could free Europe from its dependence on fossil resources, even in countries with no volcanic activity.

New technologies allow geothermal energy to be used far more widely, which could help reduce the European Union's reliance on polluting fossil resources.

The latest report from the energy think tank Ember reveals that the European Union could develop 43 GW of enhanced geothermal capacity for less than EUR 100/MWh, which is comparable to the cost of coal and gas power. Although that is only a small share of Europe's total geothermal potential, researchers have calculated that the EU could generate around 301 TWh of electricity a year. That is equivalent to almost half (42%) of the coal and gas power generated in the European Union in 2025.

The report notes that, globally, geothermal energy could meet up to 15% of the growth in electricity demand by 2050, and it warns that the EU risks losing its leading position in renewable energy if uptake remains "slow and uneven".

Which European Union member states have the greatest geothermal potential?

Researchers point out that advances in drilling and reservoir engineering are opening the way for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), which can supply clean energy across much of the continent.

Unlike conventional geothermal plants, which are confined to volcanic regions and tectonic plate boundaries (Iceland, for example), EGS involves drilling as deep as eight kilometres into hot, solid rock, injecting fluid into the fractures and pumping the heated fluid back to the surface to generate electricity. This modern technology makes it possible to produce geothermal power at competitive cost even outside the traditional high-temperature zones.

Ember notes that the "techno-economic potential" of geothermal energy in continental Europe could reach around 50 GW, enough to power some 30 million households. On that measure, Hungary accounts for the largest share — about 28 GW of untapped geothermal energy — followed by Turkey (6 GW), while Poland, Germany and France have around 4 GW each.

"Geothermal energy can be produced at low cost, and because the technology requires no fuel, it is not exposed to fuel price swings or rising carbon costs, which over time strengthens its role as a stable, low-carbon source of electricity," the report states.

"New horizons" in Europe's energy transition

Tatjana Mindekova, policy adviser at Ember, argues that modern geothermal energy is "taking the energy transition to new horizons", unlocking clean energy resources long considered "out of reach and too expensive". "Today geothermal power can be cheaper than gas," Mindekova stresses. "It is also cleaner, and it reduces Europe's dependence on imported fossil fuels." It should be added that the question for Europe is no longer whether geothermal resources exist, but whether "technological progress is matched by policy that allows the sector to scale up and de-risk the early stages".

Is Europe falling behind on geothermal energy?

Although EGS projects were launched in France, Germany and Switzerland as early as the start of the 2000s, experts warn that lengthy permitting processes and "inconsistent state support" have held back commercial deployment. By contrast, projects in the United States and Canada are rolling out many of the methods first trialled in Europe. The geothermal pipeline planned in North America will overtake Europe's.

"Delaying deployment risks shifting expertise, supply chain development and cost reductions to other regions, which would raise the cost of European projects in the future even where the resources are already available," the report states. "Without greater attention to market-scale financing, Europe may lose the economic and industrial advantages offered by technologies it pioneered."