As part of its Clean Energy Investment Strategy, published on 10 March 2026, the EU needs to ensure public and private financing for geothermal projects. The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) welcomes the Clean Energy Investment Strategy that was announced by the European Commission on 10 March 2026 (see the Press Release). In particular, EGEC is pleased to see the emphasis on the need to de-risk investments in clean energy projects through the strategic use of public funds. Responding to the proposals published by the European Commission, EGEC’s Secretary General, Philippe Dumas, said: “When it comes to Energy Policy, Europe must avoid the trap of always reacting to external shocks and lurching from crisis to crisis. What we need is a strategic, long-term approach to support the transition away from imported fossil fuels towards renewable and decarbonised energy sources – with geothermal solutions playing a key role. “Geothermal must be at the heart of Europe’s approach to providing clean electricity as well as heating and cooling, with security of supply and affordable prices for all energy consumers – from households to industries. “We know that geothermal can bring down energy costs for people and businesses, thereby strengthening the EU’s competitiveness. But, in order to access these benefits, we need a more encouraging environment for investment, with targeted European financial instruments that can leverage private capital. “This is why we urgently need a Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan at EU level with ambitious targets, which will enable and support the deployment of geothermal solutions across all of the Member States. We also need a Geothermal Industrial Alliance to facilitate the sharing of best practices and to ensure the effective implementation of relevant legislation. “The EU has a vital role to play when it comes to public funding and financing for geothermal energy projects. In this regard, we would like to see the European Commission develop a sectoral tripartite contract for geothermal energy, similar to those already announced in relation to offshore wind and energy storage under the umbrella of the Affordable Energy Action Plan.*” EGEC also welcomes the Commission’s proposals in relation to the Citizens Energy Package, which would support the establishment of energy communities at local level and enable them to invest in geothermal heating and cooling networks. “Reducing heating and cooling costs with secure supplies and stable prices benefits everyone, and is especially vital if we want to tackle Energy Poverty,” continued Philippe Dumas. “Geothermal heating and cooling solutions, including district heating and cooling networks that utilize the stable temperatures found underground, offer huge benefits including: no pollution, zero emissions, extended lifetimes and low costs for operation and maintenance. “The Citizens Energy Package should also enable fair competition between different energy sources, with an emphasis on long-term costs and affordability for consumers. Heating currently represents 50% of the EU’s overall energy consumption, 80% of the energy consumption for individual buildings, more than 50% of energy for commercial buildings and a large part of the energy consumption for industry and farmers. When installing a new heating and cooling system, consumers – from households and building owners to cities, industry or farmers – should be offered a choice between all heating sources that lets geothermal compete with other solutions on a level playing field that takes emissions and long-term running costs into account.” EGEC underlines the importance of strengthening competition between energy technologies in heating and cooling markets, as emphasised in the Citizens Energy Package and to be highlighted in the upcoming Heating and Cooling Strategy. Consumers - including households, cities, building owners, industries and farmers - are often not presented with a full range of heating solutions when investing in new systems. This lack of competition limits the ability of the market to deliver the most affordable solutions. Ensuring a level playing field across technologies is therefore essential to achieve the objectives of the EU internal energy market and provide European consumers with low and stable energy prices. For more information about EGEC’s position on a European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan, see please see our recent policy statement:The European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan (December 2025) * See the announcement on 5 September 2025:Commissioner Jørgensen announces first 2 sectorial tripartite contracts

The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) is pleased to announce that the Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award 2026 has been awarded to Herrenknecht AG for its Urban Vibro Truck, a seismic survey vehicle developed specifically for urban environments.   The European Geothermal Innovation Award (EGIA) award recognises companies that make outstanding contributions to advancing geothermal energy in Europe. The 2026 Award was presented in Offenburg (Germany) on 26 February, at a special ceremony in the framework of the GeoTHERM Congress & Expo.  Herrenknecht’s Urban Vibro Truck is a vehicle that is specifically designed for carrying out seismic surveys in towns and cities. Its significantly reduced noise emissions enable surveys to be carried out during the night while minimising impacts on local residents. The vehicle has EU road approval as a tractor, which can reduce permitting requirements for seismic survey activities.  “Winning this prestigious award is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase the benefits and the value that we can offer with the Urban Vibro Truck. We didn’t just build a nice vehicle that looks good, we have built a very functional vehicle which can make a real difference for the geothermal sector because now we can conduct seismic surveys much faster and also with better quality, and this is the most important thing. We already have one truck that can carry out surveys in towns and cities, and our goal is to have 10 of our Urban Vibro Trucks on the market by the end of 2026.”  Daniel Jaskulski, Division Manager - New Applications, Herrenknecht AG  “The Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award is given to companies which have made an outstanding contribution towards the field of geothermal energy in the form of innovative products, scientific research or project initiatives. This year EGEC received 16 applications, and the jury of eight people, to whom I would like to give my special thanks, had a very difficult job to select the five finalists.” Miklos Antics, EGEC President  Frank Thieme (Messe Offenburg), Daniel Jaskulski (Herrenknecht),Volker Gliniorz-Mädel (Herrenknecht), Miklos Antics (EGEC President). The first Urban Vibro Truck was built as a scientific test vehicle, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and additional trucks are now in production. The prototype has already completed its first seismic survey and was benchmarked against an established market device, producing comparable data. Following that initial campaign, the team identified further optimisation opportunities and has already implemented improvements that have enhanced seismic data quality.   EGEC congratulates Herrenknecht AG on this significant innovation and we believe that the Urban Vibro Truck will make a positive contribution towards increasing the uptake and accelerating the deployment of geothermal energy solutions in urban areas.  Learn more about the Urban Vibro Truck on the Herrenknecht website  Every year, the EGIA attracts a high level of entries from companies wishing to share their innovative products, technologies and solutions with Europe’s geothermal community and we thank them all for their valuable and competitive contributions! This year, the jury selected five finalists, as follows:  Deutsche Erdwärme GmbH, Advanced Injection Testing and Stimulation (Graben-Neudorf, Germany)   Hephae Energy Technology, Beyond the Thermal Limit: Ultra-High Temperature Measurement-While-Drilling for Next-Generation Geothermal (UK)   Herrenknecht AG, Urban Vibro Truck (Germany)   OLI Systems, Geothermal Asset Integrity Modelling: Integrated Corrosion and Scaling Prediction Software (OLI Platform v12.5) (UK)   QHeat, Unlocking Scalable Geothermal in Crystalline Rock Through Cost-Efficient and Collaborative Drilling (Finland)   Learn more about the five finalists for the EGIA 2026  Learn more about the Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award 

The European Geothermal Energy Council is delighted to announce the names of the five companies who have been selected as finalists for the Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award 2026. The winner will be announced at the GeoTHERM Expo & Congress, taking place on 26 and 27 February in Offenburg, Germany. "The geothermal sector is one of the most innovative sectors in Europe’s economy. Every year, new research and innovation, in terms of technology but also business models, enable companies to provide better solutions to decarbonize our economy. Geothermal also supports local economic development by supplying electrical power, heating, cooling, thermal storage and valuable minerals to industry and communities.To accelerate the market development of geothermal energy technologies, research and innovation allow these technologies to be less costly, more efficient, and easier to install anywhere." Philippe Dumas, EGEC Secretary-General. From a total of 16 nominations received, the EGIA Jury, whose members include experts from across Europe, has selected the five finalists. Below are short descriptions of the finalists, with the companies listed in alphabetical order. Deutsche Erdwärme GmbH – Advanced Injection Testing and Stimulation (Graben-Neudorf, Germany) Deutsche Erdwärme GmbH’s geothermal project in Graben-Neudorf, southwest Germany (Baden-Württemberg), has demonstrated, for the first time in the Upper Rhine Graben, the innovative application of multiple reservoir stimulation techniques combined with highly sophisticated monitoring systems. The injection testing carried out in 2025 was pioneering in its use of thermal stimulation together with soft cycling hydraulic stimulation, specifically tailored to the geological conditions of the Upper Rhine Graben. This approach integrated advanced seismic monitoring systems to enable precise supervision and real-time analysis of the reservoir’s response to stimulation. Overall, the project represents a significant advancement in geothermal exploration, enabling the successful and safe enhancement of fractured reservoirs at temperatures exceeding 200°C and setting a new benchmark for the industry in the region. More information. Hephae Energy Technology – Beyond the Thermal Limit: Ultra-High Temperature Measurement-While-Drilling for Next-Generation Geothermal (UK) Hephae Energy Technology is developing ultra-high temperature measurement-while-drilling technology to support next-generation geothermal wells, including enhanced and advanced geothermal systems (EGS and AGS), which require accurate directional drilling techniques adapted from the oil and gas industry. To optimise economics, these wells may need to be drilled in formation temperatures as high as 400°C. Despite decades of incremental efforts, advanced steerable drilling systems in oil and gas have struggled to move beyond a 200°C threshold, meaning current drilling technologies typically fail at or below 200°C and cannot reliably access deeper, hotter rock. By breaking the long-standing thermal limit and reaching 210°C, Hephae positions its ultra-high temperature drilling capability as a step-change rather than an incremental improvement. The technology aims to enable accurate directional drilling and measurement in deeper, hotter reservoirs that have been unreachable with commercially viable tools, supporting higher power output per well, improved scalability, and reduced levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Originality is also presented through the expected economic impact: by reducing temperature-driven tool failures and non-productive time, the project targets $1 to $2 million in savings per well, aiming to improve both technical feasibility and project bankability. More information. Herrenknecht AG – Urban Vibro Truck (Germany) Herrenknecht AG has developed the Urban Vibro Truck as a seismic survey vehicle designed specifically for urban environments. While many vehicles currently on the market originate from the oil and gas industry and are built for remote deployment, the Urban Vibro Truck was created for use in cities. Its transparent design is intended to foster public acceptance, and its noise emissions have been significantly reduced, making night-time measurements more feasible and lowering impacts on residents. With EU approval as a tractor, the vehicle can also reduce permitting requirements for seismic survey activities. More information. OLI Systems – Geothermal Asset Integrity Modelling: Integrated Corrosion and Scaling Prediction Software (OLI Platform v12.5) (UK) OLI Systems’ Geothermal Asset Integrity Modelling project is positioned as original in the way it integrates predictive geothermal fluid chemistry, corrosion, and mineral scaling into a single workflow that directly supports design and operational decision-making. Rather than treating chemistry, deposits, and corrosion as separate screening steps, the approach models how geothermal fluid composition changes from downhole to the wellhead and through the geothermal plant, and then uses this evolving chemistry to quantify integrity and operability risks. A distinguishing capability is the calculation of corrosion rates and corrosion susceptibility as salinity, acidity, and concentrations of CO₂, H₂S, and O₂ vary across operating scenarios and equipment locations. This provides a defensible basis for materials selection and risk-mitigation planning across a library of more than 30 corrosion-resistant alloys, including alloys commonly considered for high-salinity geothermal systems such as duplex stainless steels (for example 2205 and 2507), nickel alloys (for example 625), and other options such as 17 chromium martensitic stainless steels, as well as additional CRA choices used in high-chloride environments. Using the same underlying chemistry modelling, the platform also predicts mineral scaling tendencies under geothermal operating conditions, helping engineers identify where deposit formation can reduce heat-transfer performance and plant availability. By combining corrosion and scale prediction within one consistent workflow, the project supports practical engineering trade-offs in geothermal development, including reliability versus cost, alloy selection versus operating envelope, and mitigation intensity versus lifecycle performance More information. QHeat – Unlocking Scalable Geothermal in Crystalline Rock Through Cost-Efficient and Collaborative Drilling (Finland) Between 2019 and 2025, QHeat drilled 18 boreholes and, across these deliveries, improved drilling efficiency by more than 50%. The skills, expertise, and partnerships developed during this period are positioned as central to scaling geothermal solutions across Europe and supporting the development of a more self-sufficient future energy system. QHeat presents its originality as addressing two major barriers to geothermal uptake in Europe: high drilling costs and challenging geology. Rather than applying costly oil and gas standards, the company developed a purpose-built drilling methodology for crystalline basement rock, enabling geothermal development in areas previously considered unfeasible The approach is based on a specific adaptation for crystalline basement rock, combining air drilling with down-the-hole (DTH) hammers at depths up to 2 km to achieve higher penetration rates; de-risking of the supply chain by integrating local services and manufacturing to avoid reliance on expensive oil and gas drilling services; and standardized, simplified equipment and processes that allow operation with a small, cost-effective crew and minimal environmental impact. Together, this is presented as making medium-depth geothermal wells economically viable and scalable, where conventional methods do not deliver. More information. About the Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award The Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award is an initiative developed by EGEC, the European Geothermal Energy Council, in collaboration with Messe Offenburg, organiser of the GeoTHERM Congress & Expo. This award is given to companies which have made an outstanding contribution towards the field of geothermal energy in the form of innovative products, scientific research or project initiatives. Applications are assessed on grounds of originality, innovation, reliability, reduction of emissions, and improvements in energy output. Endorsed nominations and the award winner are recognised for their outstanding work and impact on a growing and dynamic industry. The award provides an opportunity for the geothermal industry to celebrate excellence, and for the most exciting innovations to be widely publicised. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AWARD

Joint Statement in support of a strong and stable EU Emissions Trading System, signed by 21 organisations including EGEC. Europe’s competitiveness and energy security hinge upon a strong and stable EU ETS At the European Leaders Summit in Alden Biesen, the EU-27 Heads of State and Government reaffirmed that Europe’s energy transition remains the best strategy to achieve long-term strategic autonomy and low energy prices. Yet, some leaders suggested Europe must intervene now and backtrack on its flagship climate change instrument – the EU Emission Trading System. Europe’s competitiveness and energy security require the fast deployment of more clean energy and industrial decarbonisation solutions. Stable and credible policy instruments like the EU ETS are the bedrock for such investments. The EU ETS provides an efficient, market based, and technology-neutral signal guiding industry’s capital allocation, risk management and industrial transformation. It is important to recall a simple fact, however: the EU ETS works. Combined with marginal pricing in electricity markets, it provides a clear signal that prioritises the dispatch of clean energy in real time and incentivises investment in low-carbon technologies. Since 2005, emissions in ETS-covered sectors have fallen by 50% while economic output has grown by 71%, proving that decarbonisation and competitiveness go hand-in-hand. The EU ETS has been instrumental in driving Europe’s push for clean energy, while reducing dependency on fossil fuel imports. Europe should not repeat the mistakes from the energy crisis when ad hoc interventions in core market fundamentals undermined investments in competitive electricity assets and industrial decarbonisation projects. Undermining the EU ETS or introducing short-term corrective interventions will raise the cost of capital and delay Final Investment Decisions for clean energy projects. Such instability would undermine the bankability of clean energy and industrial decarbonisation projects — investments needed to lower European energy system costs, strengthen energy security, and enhance Europe’s competitiveness. At a time of geopolitical instability and industrial transformation, concerns about energy prices and competitiveness are legitimate and must be addressed. This is where the upcoming EU ETS review can provide a way forward: a targeted update of selected ETS parameters can enhance predictability and address emerging competitiveness concerns, while preserving the system’s integrity and long-term investment signal. With approximately €43 billion generated in 2025 alone, the ETS also offers a powerful opportunity to further reinforce competitiveness through strategic revenue recycling into industrial decarbonisation. Strengthened by the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the EU ETS is a powerful tool for Member States to strategically invest in Europe’s long-term competitiveness, as highlighted by Mario Draghi in his European Competitiveness Report. Regulatory stability remains fundamental to drive investments and financing across Europe’s electricity sector and industrial value chains. We call on European Leaders to stay the course on the EU ETS for Europe’s energy security and industrial competitiveness amidst this dynamic geopolitical context. List of signatories: Carbon Capture & Storage Association Climate Group (international NGO) Danish Chamber of Commerce E3G (transnational think tank) Energy Traders Europe Eurelectric European Energy Exchange (EEX) European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) French Electricity Union / Union Française de l’Électricité (UFE) German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) Hydrogen Europe Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) Nuclear Europe Renewable Hydrogen Coalition Rockwool SolarPower Europe Stegra Wind Europe World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Joint Statement (PDF version)

EGEC's response to the Proposal for a Regulation on establishing a framework of measures for accelerating industrial capacity and decarbonisation in strategic sectors (Industrial Accelerator Act), as published by the European Commission on 4 March 2026. EGEC’s position on the Industrial Accelerator Act

The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to remove barriers to Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and accelerate their uptake as tools to finance new clean electricity assets and provide long-term price stability for consumers. PPAs can help scale renewable generation while giving electricity buyers more predictable costs.