The informal meeting of energy ministers to be held on 15 and 16 July in Budapest will address one of the key priorities in terms of energy of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council, namely the role of geothermal energy in the European energy mix (see EUROPE 13443/9).
Following on from the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 18 January on geothermal energy (see EUROPE 13331/11), the Hungarian Presidency’s background document for the European ministers recognises that more efficient use of geothermal energy will play a key role in decarbonising the EU’s heating and cooling sector (which accounts for 35% of greenhouse gas emissions linked to energy consumption).
With a view to the adoption of Council conclusions at the December Energy Council, the Hungarian Presidency is therefore inviting the Member States to give their views on the measures they think would be useful for improving the commercial viability of geothermal investments and on the obstacles to mobilising private capital for geothermal investments.
The Hungarian Presidency also recognises non-financial obstacles such as the visibility of subsurface potential, access to local geological data and the lack of public awareness.
It is therefore asking the ministers to consider the measures needed to respond to the issues raised by the public, while also considering how to speed up the granting of permits.
The Presidency is also asking the Member States about incentives, cooperation and actions at European level to maximise the use of geothermal energy in the heating and cooling and electricity sectors.
Finally, it raises the question of the targeted promotion of deep geothermal energy in former coal-mining regions “as the available data and skillset of coal miners could be utilised for geothermal energy production”.
To see the document: https://aeur.eu/f/cy6 (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)