Following the endorsement of the Deep Geothermal Implementation Plan (DG-IP) by the SET-Plan Steering Group, a Deep Geothermal Implementation Working Group (DG-IWG) is being established to advance the DG-IP, with the aim of reaching collectively the technology targets that will place Europe at the forefront of the next generation of low carbon technologies. The objective of this project proposal is to create a support unit for the DG-IWG to achieve its goals efficiently and productively. The support unit will have three main work streams, 1) to provide the DG-IWG with relevant information and data from the various stakeholder groups to support the decisionmaking process and the implementations actions of DG-IWG on required actions; 2) to promote and organise initiatives to mobilize growth of and implementation within the geothermal community, e.g.: workshops, brokerages, consortium building and exploitation of RD&I results; 3) provide a secretariat for the DG-IWG for assistance on administrative issues and synergies & strategy support. The consortium will push forward a broad mobilisation of the Geothermal community to implement the action in the IP. Furthermore the project will focus on the development of synergies and strategies. New ways will be explored to maximize the impact of knowledge, funding and market growth at european, national and regional scale. This aproach supports to creation of a durable and long-lasting R&I ecosystem in the different Member-Sates and regions. The partners will focus on a multi-actor, multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach. As such the project will support the collaboration and networking among representatives of the triple helix (research, industry and government) at the regional and national level and with their counterparts from the Horizon 2020 Associated Countries.

Our goal with the DEEPEGS project is to demonstrate the feasibility of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) for delivering energy from renewable resources in Europe. Testing of stimulating technologies for EGS in deep wells in different geologies, will deliver new innovative solutions and models for wider deployments of EGS reservoirs with sufficient permeability for delivering significant amounts of geothermal power across Europe. DEEPEGS will demonstrate advanced technologies in three geothermal reservoir types that provide all unique condition for demonstrating the applicability of this “tool bag” on different geological conditions. We will demonstrate EGS for widespread exploitation of high enthalpy heat (i) beneath existing hydrothermal field at Reykjanes (volcanic environment) with temperature up to 550°C and (ii) very deep hydrothermal reservoir Vendenheim with temperatures up to 220°C that is located in the Upper Rhine Graben (URG), a tertiary-age NNE directional rift enclosed in the European Cenozoic Rift System (ECRIS). ECRIS is an 1100 km long system of rifts formed in the foreland of the Alps as the lithosphere responded to the effects of the Alpine and Pyrenean orogenies (The originally planned French demonstrators of Valence and Riom are also located in rifts belonging to the ECRIS system). Our consortium is industry driven with five energy companies that are capable of implementing the project goal through cross-fertilisation and sharing of knowledge. The companies are all highly experienced in energy production, and three of them are already delivering power to national grids from geothermal resources. The focus on business cases will demonstrate significant advances in bringing EGS derived energy (TRL6-7) routinely to market exploitation, and has potential to mobilise project outcomes to full market scales following the end of DEEPEGS project. We seek to understand social concerns about EGS deployments, and will address those concerns in a proactive manner, where the environment, health and safety issues are prioritised and awareness raised for social acceptance. We will through risk analysis and hazard mitigation plans ensure that relevant understanding of the risks and how they can be minimised and will be implemented as part of the RTD approaches, and as a core part of the business case development.

In order to decarbonise the power, heating, and transport sectors and reach a climate neutrality by 2050, Europe needs a wide range of renewable technologies, including geothermal systems. Geothermal will be a key energy source in the European decarbonized energy mix. Indeed, geothermal is a unique energy source that can provide a significant share of electricity, heating and cooling, thermal storage and minerals such as lithium in 2022 and beyond. It is a source of energy which is renewable, local and continuously available as it is not dependent on climate conditions. Europe has pioneered the exploitation of geothermal resources for over a century and the EU still maintains a leading role due to research, innovation and the development of new technologies allowing the production of geothermal power as well as heating and cooling everywhere. In this proposal, the project GEOTHERM-FORA aims at facilitating Research and Innovation (R&I) activities in geothermal systems by supporting the workResearch, development, and innovation (RD&I) are needed to develop renewable technologies, accompanied by market uptake measures. Major investments in geothermal research and innovation are necessary to develop and deploy the next generation of geothermal technologies and answering the challenges for the transformation of our energy system towards a decarbonisation of our economy. Research, development, and innovation (RD&I) are needed to develop renewable technologies, accompanied by market uptake measures. Major investments in geothermal research and innovation are necessary to develop and deploy the next generation of geothermal technologies and to answer the challenges for the transformation of our energy system towards a decarbonisation of our economy.

The advantages of using geothermal for power production and H&C are little known. Recently, deep geothermal energy production in some regions is confronted with a negative perception, and a special attention from some decision-makers, in terms of environmental performance, which could seriously hamper its market uptake. Media reports focus more on disadvantages than advantages. As a result, decision makers and potential investors have concerns about possible environmental impacts and risks involved in implementing geothermal projects, and social resistance often results in practical obstacles - such as significant slowdowns - to the deployment of the deep geothermal resources. The first objective of the GEOENVI project is to make sure that deep geothermal energy can play its role in Europe’s future energy supply in a sustainable way. It aims to create a robust strategy to respond environmental concerns (by environmental concerns we mean both environmental impacts and risks): • by assessing the environmental impacts and risks of geothermal projects operational or in development in Europe, and • by providing a robust framework to propose recommendations on environmental regulations to the decision-makers, an adapted methodology for assessing environment impact to the project developers, and finally • by communicating properly on environmental concerns with the general public. Secondly, GEOENVI aims at engaging with both decision-makers and geothermal market actors, to have the recommendations on regulations adopted and to see the LCA methodology implemented by geothermal stakeholders. The engagement with stakeholders includes to share knowledge by adopting an open and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data approach.

CROWDTHERMAL aims to empower the European public to directly participate in the development of geothermal projects with the help of alternative financing schemes (crowdfunding) and social engagement tools. In order to reach this goal, the project will first increase the transparency of geothermal projects and technologies by creating one to one links between geothermal actors and the public so that a Social Licence to Operate (SLO) could be obtained. This will be done by assessing the nature of public concerns for the different types of geothermal technologies, considering deep and shallow geothermal installations separately, as well as various hybrid and emerging technology solutions. CROWDTHERMAL will create a social acceptance model for geothermal energy that will be used as baseline in subsequent actions for inspiring public support for geothermal energy. Parallel and synergetic with this CROWDTHERMAL will work out details of alternative financing and risk mitigation options covering the different types of geothermal resources and various socio-geographical settings. The models will be developed and validated with the help of three Case Studies in Iceland, Hungary and Spain and with the help of a Trans-European survey conducted by EFG Third Parties. Based on these feedbacks, a developers’ toolbox will be created with the aim of promoting new geothermal projects in Europe supported by new forms of financing and investment risk mitigation schemes that will be designed to work hand in hand with current engineering and microeconomic best practices and conventional financial instruments.