Answer given by Ms Simson on behalf of the European Commission
27.11.2024
The implementation of the new EU regulatory framework for the energy transition, including the revised Energy Efficiency Directive[1] and Renewable Energy Directive[2], with new targets for renewables in heating and cooling, simpler and shorter permitting processes, the promotion of renewables-based district heating and local energy planning requirements aim to address the main barriers to the deployment of geothermal energy.
The Commission will work with Member States and regional and local authorities to support good implementation of these provisions. Geothermal energy is part of the strategic approach to decarbonising heating and cooling in a context of energy system integration.
Geothermal projects are eligible for support under many existing EU programmes and many projects have already received support, including from LIFE[3], Horizon 2020[4] and Horizon Europe[5], Innovation fund[6], and the European Regional Development Fund.
The total amount of funds granted by the EU to geothermal energy in the period 2004-2023 is EUR 622 million, for 140 projects, with more than half of them under directly managed programmes.
As Member States have been putting in place promising new financing and derisking schemes, the exchange of best practices is also essential in order to design effective schemes that are best adapted to the specificity of each national context.
- [1] Directive (EU) 2023/1791 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 on energy efficiency and amending Regulation (EU) 2023/955 (recast) (Text with EEA relevance).
- [2] Directive (EU) 2023/2413 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023 amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 and Directive 98/70/EC as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and repealing Council Directive (EU) 2015/652.
- [3] https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life_en
- [4] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-2020_en
- [5] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en
- [6] https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/innovation-fund_en