Geothermal ERA-NET: The chance for strengthen geothermal cooperation activities in Europe

Igor Kocis is a member of the Board at AGEO - Agency for Geothermal Power Engineering and from this position he became the Representative of the Slovak Republic in the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating & Cooling (RHC-Platform). During last weeks he took a part in the proposal preparation phase of new European Reseach Area ERA-NET partnership project focused on utilization of geothermal energy.

Igor Kocis at the project preparation meeting

Geothermania prepared a short interview with Igor about Geothermal ERA-NET - project aimed to deepen the cooperation of national program owners and administrators and thus to be an enabler for the integration of national research and development (R&D) agendas into a coherent European geothermal R&D program.

• Geothermal energy contributes not only to the overall goals of the European Action Plan (30% CO2 reduction, 20% renewables), but may also integrate discontinuous renewable energies like solar or wind with its base load capacity. Igor, let's summarize, what are the goals of Geothermal ERA-NET and what would fans of geothermal energy expect from this project?

European Action Plan approved by European Commission has many ambitious aims such as 30% CO2 reduction, 20% energy savings or 20% energy from renewables. Countries participating in this Geothermal ERA-NET were chosen on the basis of their ambitions to include geothermal energy into these aims of greenhouse gases reduction. The main goal will be creating a framework for partnership of geothermal subjects such as European national program owners. The Geothermal ERA-NET is not only focused on the utilization of shallow geothermal energy for direct heating, but also from high enthalpy sources. It is targeted on technical, but mainly non-technical (regulatory, institutional, social) issues.

• Could you tell us something more about functional mechanisms of Geothermal ERA-NET? Why do you think this project will be successful?

The Geothermal ERA-NET scheme has several functional mechanisms including tools for cooperation and integration of geothermal research funding agencies in European countries. The whole project is divided into seven workpackages which are aimed to secure full implementation of project’s goals, among them creating of the European Geothermal Database, negotiations with stakeholders or transnational mobilities.

But the most significant impact of the project is the joint programming of the national activities. Unfortunately, the centralized financial support from the Brussels to the geothermal energy is low. Thus we need to coordinate and join our relatively isolated national activities and grant schemes to prove the global competitiveness of the European research and innovative segments. I think skilful participants and clear project aims guarantee successful results of this project.

• Slovakia is in Geothermal ERA-NET represented by Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport. What other institutions participate in the consortium?

The Geothermal ERA-NET consortium has ten members from nine different countries. The coordinator of the whole project is the Icelandic National Energy Authority. Participating organizations have their focused mainly in environmental, energy efficiency or research issues such as Swiss Federal Office of Energy or The National Research Council of Italy.

• Countries participating in this project have extra-ordinary geothermal conditions. Do you think that Slovakia has sufficient potential to utilize geothermal energy in commercial scale? In general, how would you characterize utilization of renewable sources in Slovakia?

You are right that Slovakia has excellent geothermal conditions above European average but there is no systematic utilization of this renewable energy source. Apart from few district heating projects and one hydrothermal power plant under construction there are not larger geothermal activities yet. Current state in other renewables is different; the support for wind or solar energy is more prominent even though their effective load factor is very low. In my opinion, radical change in thinking of official authorities is necessary for utilization of geothermal energy in larger commercial scale.

• Do you think that Slovakia will reach the overall goals of the European Union in producing 20% of its electricity from renewable sources until 2020? What part can take geothermal energy in this ambitious plan?

This plan is really very ambitious but without conceptual support to new renewable technologies there is no chance to be successful.  R&D programs in EU should be granted for viable projects which can bring real results into power engineering sector in next 5 years. Only base load energy which need not be backed up by fossil fuels plants can bring us secure and sustainable energy. The best one which meets these requirements is geothermal energy and it is the reason why more attention should be paid to the utilization of this renewable energy source.