2023/2111(INI) Geothermal energy
Lead committee dossier:
Progress: Procedure completed
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | ITRE |
KRASNODĘBSKI Zdzisław ( ECR)
|
WEISS Pernille ( EPP),
FUGLSANG Niels ( S&D),
PETERSEN Morten ( Renew),
NIINISTÖ Ville ( Verts/ALE),
BORCHIA Paolo ( ID),
MESURE Marina ( GUE/NGL)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Events
2024/01/18
EP - Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
Documents
2024/01/18
EP - Decision by Parliament
Documents
2024/01/17
EP - Debate in Parliament
Documents
2023/12/12
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details
The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the own-initiative report by Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL) on geothermal energy.
Development and potential
Firstly, the report noted that the development of technologies has broadened the area suitable for cost-efficient geothermal projects and their scope. Geothermal energy still often plays a peripheral role in the discussion on renewable energy. However, Members stated that geothermal installations do not require critical raw materials to the same extent as other renewables. Moreover, geothermal has low environmental impact and typically requires limited land use and can easily be integrated into the landscape.
The report underlined the potential of geothermal energy to make a substantial contribution to attaining key strategic objectives within the EU, including reaching climate targets by decarbonising different industrial sectors, bolstering the EU’s open strategic autonomy by strengthening energy security needs, eliminating fossil-fuel dependencies on unreliable third countries, such as Russia, increasing the competitiveness of European industries and empowering consumers thanks to an affordable and reliable supply of heat and electricity.
The report stressed that the greatest potential of geothermal energy use in the EU lies in district heating and cooling systems and networks of shallow geothermal installations. Geothermal can help to decarbonising heating and cooling sector that accounts for almost half of the EU’s overall final energy consumption and contributes up to 35 % of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions related to energy use.
Policy recommendations
The Commission is called on to:
- present an EU geothermal strategy giving concrete guidance to Member States and local administrations to accelerate the deployment of geothermal energy in order to decarbonise heating and contribute to the EU’s energy independence and to meet the objective of at least tripling the share of energy demand covered by solar heat and geothermal energy by 2030 as announced in the EU Solar Strategy;
- base the strategy on a comprehensive assessment of the potential of geothermal energy in the shallow, medium, deep, and ultra-deep subsurface across all 27 Member States;
- address in the strategy the obstacles for the development of geothermal projects, including cross-borders issues and to provide a guide on best practices in geothermal energy use in the EU for national and local authorities, project developers, and financial institutions;
- establish a ‘geothermal alliance’, including Member States, geothermal adoption enablers, industry, the scientific community and civil society that would facilitate the exchange of best practices and to implement the future geothermal strategy;
- explore the potential of geothermal energy to contribute to objectives production of clean hydrogen established in the REPowerEU plan.
Geothermal district heating and cooling
Underlining the need to modernise existing heating and cooling networks and build new ones using the potential of geothermal energy, the Commission and the Member States are called on to create strong incentives to support the above and to favour 4th and 5th generation heating and cooling systems.
Funding
Members stressed that high upfront costs are stunting the growth of geothermal energy, particularly for actors with limited financial resources, making them to favour investments that are more profitable in the short term, but offer lower environmental sustainability. Therefore, they called on the Commission to take appropriate steps to ensure that geothermal projects are better taken into account when using existing European funds and instruments.
Regulatory issues
Faster permitting rules for geothermal, in compliance with existing EU environmental legislation, would facilitate the deployment of geothermal energy projects across the EU. Geothermal projects encounter lengthy permitting processes and Member States are urged to create more efficient streamlined and digitalised permitting processes for new geothermal projects and for the expansion of existing facilities, including by creating a one-stop shop for the whole permitting process across authorities and to provide support for local authorities to ensure their workforce is adequately skilled.
Technology development
While stressing that the EU is the leader in geothermal research and development, high-value patents, publications and manufacturing, Members stated that support measures for next-generation geothermal technologies are needed at European and national level in order to maintain this position, particularly in geothermal storage and industrial applications.
The report noted that investment in research and development (R&D) in the geothermal energy field has received considerably less funding than other sectors, with only two projects on geothermal energy being supported so far by the Innovation Fund.
Visibility and public acceptance
According to the report, public acceptance remains a challenge for geothermal projects, particularly on the basis of environmental concerns such as the possible interference with ground water, non-condensable gas emissions, over-exploitation of water resources, and seismic activity. Members called on the Commission, in cooperation with the geothermal industry and Member States, to develop guidelines and best practices for cooperation between project promoters and local authorities and communities in order to build trust, foster support and create mutually beneficial relationships.
Documents
2023/12/07
EP - Vote in committee
2023/10/18
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2023/09/25
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2023/09/02
EP - KRASNODĘBSKI Zdzisław (ECR) appointed as rapporteur in ITRE
2023/07/12
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
Documents
- Text adopted by Parliament, single reading: T9-0049/2024
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0049/2024
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0432/2023
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE754.723
- Committee draft report: PE752.863
- Committee draft report: PE752.863
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE754.723
- Text adopted by Parliament, single reading: T9-0049/2024
Activities
- Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI
Plenary Speeches (2)
- 2024/01/17 Geothermal energy (debate)
- 2024/01/17 Geothermal energy (debate)
- Franc BOGOVIČ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2024/01/17 Geothermal energy (debate)
- Nicola DANTI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2024/01/17 Geothermal energy (debate)
- Morten PETERSEN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2024/01/17 Geothermal energy (debate)
- Ivan Vilibor SINČIĆ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Maxette PIRBAKAS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2024/01/17 Geothermal energy (debate)
- Pernille WEISS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2024/01/17 Geothermal energy (debate)
- Ladislav ILČIĆ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2024/01/17 Geothermal energy (debate)
- Beatrice COVASSI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2024/01/17 Geothermal energy (debate)
Votes
A9-0432/2023 – Zdzisław Krasnodębski – Motion for a resolution #
2024/01/18 Outcome: +: 531, 0: 20, -: 2
PPE
NI
The Left| Amendments | Dossier |
| 302 |
2023/2111(INI)
2023/10/18
ITRE
302 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) – having regard to the Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’)1a, _________________ 1a https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?toc=OJ%3AL%3A2021 %3A243%3ATOC&uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L _.2021.243.01.0001.01.ENG
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 b (new) – having regard to the European Commission study entitled “Geothermal plants and applications emissions: overview and analysis” from 20201a _________________ 1a Study on Geothermal plants and applications emissions: overview and analysis – Final report, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020, ISBN 978-92-76- 04112-2, doi: 10.2777/755565,
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the European Commission to standardise definitions, applications, permitting rules and lifecycle emissions tools for geothermal in order to facilitate the growth of geothermal electricity, heating, cooling, storage uses in power grids, buildings, industry and agri-food sectors;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Calls on the Commission to prepare a comprehensive study that will assess the potential of geothermal energy in the shallow, medium, deep, and ultra deep subsurface across all 27 Member States; notes that this study should help identify the potential of geothermal energy for various uses, including but not limited to, district heating, cooling, industrial processes, food production, heat pumps, electricity generation, renewable hydrogen and lithium production; notes that this study should also assess the impact of developing geothermal energy on the decarbonisation of the economy, job creation, competitiveness, empowering of consumers, and cost-effectiveness compared to other energy sources;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Calls on the European Commission to introduce a European financial risk mitigation scheme to provide coverage to local authorities and project developers to aid the development of cost-effective geothermal energy capacity across Europe. It could be extended to neighbouring countries to facilitate their attainment of energy security targets;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Calls on the European Commission to establish a European Geothermal Alliance to facilitate accelerated growth for the sector and ensure the EU’s energy security and strategic autonomy. The Alliance should also promote the replication of robust regulatory frameworks and best practices outlined in mature geothermal markets as well as supporting supply-chain development.
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Calls on the Commission to prepare a study that will identify the obstacles for the development of geothermal projects, including cross- borders issues and provide a guide on best practices of geothermal energy use in the EU for national and local authorities, project developers, and financial institutions;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 d (new) 5d. Calls on the European Commission to amend relevant legislation for electricity and gas distribution System Operators (DSOs) to facilitate coordination between heat and cold network energy companies and local authorities to plan, invest and manage geothermal heating and cooling networks/district systems;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 e (new) 5e. Calls on the European Commission to establish a framework to renumerate underground thermal energy storage as this will not be covered by the Electricity Market Design reforms and provide a dedicated call to pilot underground pumped hydro long duration electrical storage plants as this is vital to the smooth operation of the electricity system and the EU’s energy security;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that national and EU-wide measures for geothermal energy should be based on an assessment of the
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that national and EU-wide measures for geothermal energy should be based on an assessment of the geothermal potential of Europe, taking into account the diverse
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Points out that deep geothermal energy requires substantial initial investment and that, particularly in certain areas, there is a high risk that the boreholes will not be as exploitable as expected, and that the development of geothermal energy should therefore be supported by geological risk guarantee funds to which private contributions and public funds would be added in order to cover the lion's share of the cost of drilling operations in the event that the resource is not found;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 a (new) – having regard to the main outcomes and recommendations of 'Study on Geothermal plants and applications emissions: overview and analysis – Final report'10a, _________________ 10a Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020, ISBN 978-92- 76-04112-2, doi: 10.2777/755565
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission to come up with specific calls, also in the framework of the Strategic Energy Technologies Platform, to encourage pilot and commercial projects applying geothermal energy in industrial and agri- food sectors;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Stresses that this support must be accompanied by strict measures to regulate the price of geothermal heat and electricity in order to ensure visibility for investors and a selling price for end consumers that reflects production costs; stresses that this public support must go hand in hand with making the data collected during drilling available to the public within a year;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the growing awareness of and support for geothermal at national level;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the growing awareness of and support for geothermal at national level; notes that some Member States have developed geothermal roadmaps, targets and dedicated policy measures; stresses the need to facilitate the exchange of information about these measures and data to support geothermal policies and to promote existing best practices; considers that this can be achieved through the establishment of a ‘geothermal alliance’;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Urges the European Commission to significantly simplify and streamline permitting procedures for geothermal projects due to lengthy approval procedures, including extensive studies related to nature conversation laws, to facilitate the planning and implementation of large-scale geothermal projects; draws attention to the possibility to simplify legal requirements through temporary exemptions from obligations set out in nature protections laws as well as through ambitious procedural deadlines, and, thus, to shorten the planning and implementation of geothermal projects;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Expresses concern about a notable deficiency of well-qualified individuals across the entire value chain, underscores the growing demand for a proficient workforce in the future, and thus emphasises the urgent necessity for substantial investments in the training and retraining of the workforce within the geothermal sector;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Calls on the Commission to present guidelines to the Member States for the preparation of comprehensive heating and cooling assessments and of local heating and cooling plans as required under the Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2023/1791 including how a possible geothermal potential is assessed and processed;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Expresses regret, however, that public support for the geothermal sector varies according to the costs of other energy sources such as natural gas, whereas the inherent characteristics of geothermal energy, due to the high level of investment, require long-term public support to bolster the sector;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Highlights that geothermal district heating and cooling (DHC) can provide local, baseload and flexible renewable energy and protection against volatile and rising fossil fuels prices; stresses that district cooling will be an important element of sustainable adaptation to climate change in cities;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Notes that public resistance and fear about the exploitation of geothermal energy remains a challenge: is convinced that duly maintaining high environmental standards and transparency, and avoiding any conflicts of interest, could help in overcoming distrust;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 a (new) – having regard to the report on District heating and cooling in the EU – Overview of markets and regulatory frameworks under the revised Renewable Energy Directive,4a _________________ 4a doi:10.2833/962525
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Recalls that maintaining high environmental and transparency standards in geothermal projects, as well as avoiding conflicts of interest is important to include local communities;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Calls on the Commission to develop a framework to incentivise 4th and 5th generation geothermal heating and cooling networks;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Acknowledges, on the other hand, that public concern to direct and indirect emissions and environmental and health consequences of geothermal projects are in several cases entirely justified because of scientific evidence and findings available in existing literature pointing at: – power plant and soil direct and indirect emission of gases (including Non- Condensable Gases) and fine-particles, containing inter alia:heavy metals, ammonia, ozone, sulphur oxide, hydrogen sulphide, mercury, arsenic, radon, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide climate-altering gases; – freshwater contamination; – groundwater over-exploitation, including the amount of water necessary in reinjection processes to compensate the volume reduction of exploited and cooled geothermal fluids; – induced or increased site-specific subsidence and/or seismicity. Additionally, the anthropogenic emissions due to geothermal activity of many potentially harmful substances contained in geothermal emissions are not preassessed and/or not monitored routinely or at all.
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Stresses the need to share best practices in the field of geothermal energy, not only between Member States but also with third countries that have developed deep and surface geothermal energy on a larger scale; notes that an internationally recognised European geothermal industry would also be an effective way of exporting our know-how to bolster the continent's economic development and combat global warming; calls for these technologies to be made available free of charge to states in the Global South, especially since geothermal energy cannot be exported;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Notes that while there are 289 geothermal district heating and cooling systems in the EU and about 14 new systems come online every year on average the share of geothermal in supply is regrettably still minor; expresses concerns that too often the development of geothermal projects is prevented or significantly delayed by lack of developed networks; stressess the need to ensure coordination between energy companies and local authorities to jointly plan, invest and manage distict heating and cooling networks;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Calls on the European Commission to grant renewable heating and cooling methods, such as geothermal energy, a similar exemption from EU procurement regulations as the one already in place for renewable electricity generation; emphasizes that implementing additional measures, like the exemption of specific services such as supply and construction from the requirement of EU- wide tendering, would significantly accelerate projects;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Recalls Member states to set an indicative target for innovative renewable energy technology of at least 5 % of new installed renewable energy capacity by 2030, for the implementation of the Strategic Research and Innovation agenda of the European technology and Innovation platform on geothermal and the Implementation Plan of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET- Plan) implementation Working Group on geothermal;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Notes that the revised Energy Efficiency Directive introduces an obligation for the monitoring of the energy performance of data centres, and that geothermal can supply efficient active and passive cooling to data centres in large public, commercial and industrial building with a significant cooling demand; call on Member States to consider this potential when implementing the revised Energy Efficiency Directive;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Acknowledges the value of the expertise and background of professionals currently employed in the oil and gas service industry for the geothermal sector;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Public concerns and fears can be further reinforced by: – lack of transparency of deep geothermal exploitation operations; – conflicting findings or interpretations in assessment studies and monitoring reports due also to the absences of specific and harmonized geothermal appropriate LCA methodologies; – lack of environmental data monitoring, collecting and reporting, or not uniform and/or not harmonized data collecting methodologies;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 a (new) – having regard to the report of the Joint Research Centre from 2023 entitled “The heat pump wave: opportunities and challenges”1a _________________ 1a Toleikyte, A., Roca Reina, J.C., Volt, J., Carlsson, J., Lyons, L., Gasparella, A., Koolen, D., De Felice, M., Tarvydas, D., Czako, V., Koukoufikis, G., Kuokkanen, A. and Letout, S., The Heat Pump Wave: Opportunities and Challenges, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, doi:10.2760/27877, JRC134045
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Welcomes the growing number of projects involving conversion of already existing DHC infrastructure into geothermal based DHC; emphasizes in particular the potential of the above conversions, in Central and Eastern European countries, where they can significantly contribute to decarbonisation policies; stresses that these actions should be prioritised in the Modernisation, Just Transition and Cohesion Funds;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Points out that the biggest obstacle to geothermal energy is the need to recover a substantial initial investment, coupled with the risk that drilling will not produce a fully exploitable energy source; calls, to this end, for the State aid rules applicable to geothermal energy to be rendered more flexible in order to speed up public support measures for the sector;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 d (new) 7d. Points at the fact that environmental performances and human health impacts of geothermal energy exploitation can vary extremally widely, from 'almost zero' for shallow resources to significant potential harms for deep resources exploitation, depending on specific deep geothermal technologies used, population density, the presence of industrial and residential settlements, underground rocks and geothermal fluids characteristics. Therefore the diversity and peculiarity of each area, even within geographically adjacent areas, should be carefully and duly evaluated based on both adapted existing LCA and specific geothermal appropriate LCA methodologies, including the pre- assessment of soil, air and freshwater geochemical background, followed by monitoring of resulting geochemical baseline after the development of deep geothermal applications;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 d (new) 7d. Stresses the need to strengthen the role of the public sector in the exploitation of Europe's subsoil in order to take greater account of the highly strategic dimension of the mining and geothermal industries and to limit the potential negative impacts of their exploitation; considers that the creation of a public service for mining and geothermal exploitation would enable optimal development of these sectors;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 d (new) 7d. Draws attention that some of recent geothermal DHC projects were implemented with new business models allowing private companies, including utility companies, to build public infrastructure on behalf of local authorities; invites Member States to explore innovative regulatory possibilities to foster geothermal development of geothermal DHC;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 e (new) 7e. Calls on the Commission to involve all stakeholders in the geothermal sector, in particular underground research centres, trade unions and local councillors, in drawing up a roadmap for the development of the sector in Europe in order to implement a geothermal energy policy that respects the environment and ensures optimum working conditions for workers;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Urges the Member States to explore methods of collecting different types of geological data from public and private entities with a view to organising, systematising and making it available to the public, noting the existence and benefits of using digital formats to collect and make subsurface date publicly available, which should be considered a best practice for Member States; notes that this should be achieved in compliance with confidentiality requirements and data protection rules, and, where necessary, include incentives and compensation for data sharing by private entities;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Urges the Member States to explore methods of collecting different types of geological data from public and private entities with a view to organising, systematising and making it available to the public; notes that this should be achieved in compliance with confidentiality requirements and data protection rules
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Urges the Member States to explore methods of collecting different types of geological data from public and private entities with a view to organising, systematising and making it available to the public to further develop the basic geological database; notes that this should be achieved in compliance with confidentiality requirements, including copy rights and protecting know how, and data protection rules, and, where necessary, include incentives and compensation for data sharing by private entities;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 c (new) – having regard to 'The heat pump wave 2023', Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, ISBN 978-92-68-04870-2, doi: 10.2760/27877, JRC13404510c _________________ 10c https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/94cf1914-10b1-11ee- b12e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/ https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/94cf1914-10b1-11ee- b12e-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Urges the Member States to explore methods of collecting different types of geological data from public and private entities with a view to organising, systematising and making it available to the public; notes that this should be achieved in compliance with confidentiality requirements and data protection rules
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Urges the Member States to explore methods of collecting different types of geological data from public and private entities with a view to organising, systematising and making
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Urges the Comission and Member States to explore methods of collecting different types of geological data from public and private entities with a view to organising, systematising and making it available to the public; notes that this should be achieved in compliance with necessary confidentiality requirements and data protection rules, and, where necessary, include incentives and compensation for data sharing by private entities;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Urges the Member States to explore methods of collecting different types of geological data from public and private entities with a view to organising, systematising and making it available to the public; notes that this should be achieved in compliance with confidentiality requirements and data protection rules, copyrights/ownership, and, where necessary, include incentives and compensation for data sharing by private entities;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Urges the Member States to explore methods of collecting different types of geological data from public and private entities with a view to organising, systematising and making it available to the public; notes that this should be achieved in compliance with confidentiality requirements
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Notes the lack of easy access to subsurface data is currently an important barrier to de-risking and thereby the fast deployment of geothermal energy projects; underscores that easy and equitable access to subsurface data in Member States is crucial for the project appraisal phase; urges the European Commission to explore the benefits of and barriers to harmonising national legislation on granting access to subsurface data; calls on the European Commission to clarify subsurface data collection and access rules for both public and private entities, taking into account the crucial role of data in reducing project risks and ensuring the competitiveness of geothermal projects;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Stresses that subsurface characteristics need to be better understood to unlock the continent’s full geothermal and mining potential with a view to strengthening European sovereignty; calls, therefore, for all data obtained from the exploitation of subsurface resources to be made public within one year so that Europe’s subsurface can be mapped out in full; stresses that geothermal and other forms of exploitation, including public works and mining, must be used as levers to map our subsurface;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Notes that one of the major challenges for the fast deployment of geothermal energy is the lack of access to already existing geological data due to high costs, lack of transparency, and fragmented data sharing policies across Member States; underlines, further, that this lack of data access prevents scientists from creating geological models that are essential to predict the potential and yield of geothermal energy in a given subsurface area and are thus crucial in reducing uncertainty for project developers;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Notes that easy access to data through public available and digitalised formats can de-risk investments in geothermal energy projects; calls on the European Commission and Member States to harmonise the legislation that gives access to subsurface data for both private and public actors;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 b (new) – having regard to the results of the regional project PATOS-2 – Particolato Atmosferico in Toscana. Linea di ricerca 7. Individuazione di marker specifici delle centrali geotermoelettriche, Università degli Studi di Firenze 2 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra - Università degli Studi di Firenze 3 Museo di Storia Naturale - CNR Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, sezione di Firenze 4 - Department of Science Facilities the Natural History Museum, London, Regione Toscana, 2015,10b _________________ 10b https://flore.unifi.it/retrieve/handle/2158/1 017014/86438/2015RelazioneFinalePatos- DST.pdf
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Is concerned by the chronic lack of investment by Member States in bodies researching the subsurface; calls on the Member States to better pay those working in the geothermal sector to boost the attractiveness of the professions and thus meet the industry’s staffing needs, in both the public and private sectors;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Urges, therefore, the Commission to adopt a legal framework that makes the collection and sharing of geological data (including from decommissioned oil, gas, and coal wells) mandatory, free, easily accessible, and located in a centralised portal at the EU level;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 c (new) 8c. Stresses that the assessment of deployment of geothermal energy in Europe is very difficult due to the lack of standards for industry data reporting; calls, therefore, on the Commission to consider creating standards for industry data reporting in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders, including industries, research institutes, universities; notes that accessible and standardised data will significantly improve the use of cross border data and the possibility to use different AI machine learning systems on this standardised data;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 d (new) 8d. Highlights the importance of making data available from existing district heating networks, including the level of modernisation and heat demand, to geothermal stakeholders across Europe; underscores that this data is crucial to evaluate the potential of a region and engage with local authorities throughout the initial stages of a project;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses that
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses that for areas with insufficient subsurface data, there is a role for the European Commission to harmonise data collection rules; stresses the role for governments can play a role in funding geothermal resource mapping and exploratory drilling; welcomes the fact that some Member States have already taken steps in this direction; calls for EU funding to support this data collection with a view to creating an EU-wide atlas of geothermal potential;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses that for areas with insufficient subsurface data, governments can play a role in funding geothermal resource mapping and exploratory drilling; welcomes the fact that some Member States have already taken steps in this direction; calls for EU funding to support this data collection with a view to creating an EU-wide atlas of geothermal potential, in particular for surface geothermal potential, which is the most scalable option;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses that for areas with insufficient subsurface data, governments can play a role in funding geothermal resource mapping and exploratory drilling; welcomes the fact that some Member States have already taken steps in this direction; calls for EU funding to support this data collection with a view to creating an EU-wide atlas of geothermal
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Stresses that for areas with insufficient subsurface data, governments can play a role in funding geothermal resource mapping and exploratory drilling; welcomes the fact that some Member States have already taken steps in this direction; calls for EU funding to support this data collection with a view to creating an EU-wide atlas of geothermal potential, in particular for surface geothermal projects;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10.
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 c (new) – having regard to the European Commission 2023 study entitled “Overview of heating and cooling - Perceptions, markets and regulatory frameworks for decarbonisation”1a _________________ 1a Overview of heating and cooling - Perceptions, markets and regulatory frameworks for decarbonisation - Final Report, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, ISBN 978-92-76-61540-8, doi: 10.2833/962558,
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Emphasises the geothermal potential of repurposed inactive oil and gas wells to reduce dependencies on imports of Russian gas (such as LNG) and fight against climate change; calls on the Member States, in cooperation with oil
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Emphasises the geothermal potential of repurposed inactive oil and gas wells and inactive mines; calls on the Member States, in cooperation with o
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Calls on Member States to include geothermal exploration when conducting their national programme for general exploration of critical raw materials as part of the Critical Raw Materials Act; asks that any data feeding from this exploration programme to be added to the EU-wide geological database;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Expresses its concern about the fragmented nature of statistics on geothermal energy; calls on the Member States, in cooperation with the industry and the Commission, to overhaul existing data collecting procedures for geothermal and to replicate best practices in the sector; Highlights the relevance of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS), which can provide reliable land temperature data, that are particularly useful for surface geothermal energy.
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Expresses its concern about the fragmented nature of statistics on geothermal energy; calls on the Member States, in cooperation with the industry and the Commission, to overhaul existing data collecting and access procedures for geothermal and to replicate best practices in the sector;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Expresses its concern about the fragmented nature of statistics on geothermal energy; calls on the Member States, in cooperation with the industry and the Commission, to overhaul existing data collecting and access procedures for geothermal and to replicate best practices in the sector;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Highlights the importance of making data available to geothermal energy actors on existing district heating networks, including the level of modernisation and heat demand, across Europe; underscores that actors need this data to evaluate the potential of a region and to educate dialogues and engagement with local administration throughout the initial stages of a project;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Takes notes that a more detailed register of geothermal energy potential would prevail local heat sources and support the adoption and implementation of the local heating and cooling plans as required under the Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2023/1791;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Stresses that the availability of existing district heating and cooling data to investors can help support local actors to evaluate the potential of geothermal energy in the local area; calls on the Commission to facilitate and coordinate that availability of existing district heating and cooling data;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Reiterates that uncertainty about subsurface resources makes it challenging to secure project funding; calls on the Member States to explore de-risking solutions appropriate to the maturity of their local markets (grants, loans that are convertible to grants, state-backed guarantees), as well as the potential benefits of an EU-wide risk mitigation scheme, to support existing national programmes that already cover a substantial amount of the risks; calls for these risk-mitigation mechanisms to not only be financed by public funds but also by contributions from the private sector, and oil sector in particular, which could benefit from this mechanism to develop geothermal energy, given its geological and drilling expertise;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 d (new) – having regard to the 'District heating and cooling in the European Union Overview of markets and regulatory frameworks under the revised Renewable Energy', Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2022, ISBN 978-92-76-52343-7, doi: 10.2833/962525, (including the related 7 Annexes)10d _________________ 10d https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/4e28b0c8-eac1-11ec- a534-01aa75ed71a1/language-en and https://energy.ec.europa.eu/publications/d istrict-heating-and-cooling-european- union_en
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Reiterates that uncertainty about subsurface resources makes it challenging to secure project funding; stresses that the initial project phase, such as the exploration and construction phase, require a significant amount of investment and major entrepreneurial risks hindering investments; calls on the Member States to explore de-risking solutions appropriate to the maturity of their local markets (free and accessible geological data, grants, loans that are convertible to grants, state-backed guarantees), as well as the potential benefits of an EU-wide risk mitigation scheme; notes, in this regard, that an EU risk mitigation scheme would be particularly useful for the least mature markets in the geothermal sector;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Reiterates that uncertainty about subsurface resources makes it challenging to secure project funding; stresses that the initial project phase, such as the exploration and construction phase, require a significant amount of investment and major entrepreneurial risks hindering investments; calls on the Member States to explore de-risking solutions appropriate to the maturity of their local markets (grants, loans that are convertible to grants, state-backed guarantees), especially for the exploration and drilling phases, as well as the potential benefits of an EU-wide risk mitigation scheme; notes, in this regard, that an EU risk mitigation scheme would be particularly useful in the geothermal sector;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Notes that geothermal construction and the preceding exploration phase require a significant amount of investment and major entrepreneurial risks in the initial project phase, hindering investments; Reiterates that uncertainty about subsurface resources makes it challenging to secure project funding; calls on
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Reiterates that uncertainty about subsurface resources makes it challenging to secure project funding; calls on the Member States to explore de-risking solutions appropriate to the maturity of their local market
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Notes that investment in research and development of geothermal energy has been completely underfunded in relation to other sectors; calls, therefore, on the Commission to support investments in R&D for market deployment, commercial-scale development of aquifer and other underground storage technologies, development of reliable pump technology, new drilling techniques, business model innovation to reduce high capital costs;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Notes the great potential geothermal energy has as a local and low- cost source of energy if upfront costs and risks are mitigated; calls for the Commission and Member States to provide guidance to funding models as well as private and public funding opportunities;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Calls on the Commission to introduce a European financial risk insurance scheme, where such schemes are not provided by Member States, to provide coverage to local authorities, social housing providers, public authorities, businesses, and project developers to facilitate the use of cost- effective geothermal energy and ensure the projects' viability and stability; notes that this scheme could be extended to neighbouring countries to accelerate their green energy transition;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Expresses concern that while geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are currently the most efficient heat pumps, producing more heat for less electricity in cold climates compared to air source heat pumps, their much higher upfront drilling and installation costs tend to discourage their selection; calls on the Member States to explore possible financial incentives to bridge this gap, also taking into account that the use of GHPs represents an ideal synergy for reducing energy poverty, the development of heating and cooling districts, and renewable energy communities;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Expresses concern that
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Expresses concern that while geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are currently the most efficient heat pumps, producing more heat for less electricity in cold climates compared to air source heat pumps, their much higher upfront drilling and installation costs tend to discourage their selection; calls on the Member States to explore possible financial incentives to bridge this gap; calls on the Commission to address this issue in the upcoming EU Heat Pump Action Plan;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 e (new) – having regard to 'Studio geostrutturale, idrogeologico e geochimico ambientale dell’area amiatina', Università di Siena, 200810e _________________ 10e https://www.regione.toscana.it/documents/ 10180/726542/Studio+geostrutturale.pdf/6 3ecc29a-7f82-40b2-b610-cdfc7f17b562
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Expresses concern that while geothermal heat p
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Expresses concern that
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Expresses concern that while geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are currently the most efficient heat pumps, producing more heat for less electricity in cold climates compared to air source heat pumps, their much higher upfront drilling and installation costs tend to discourage their selection; calls on the Member States to explore possible financial incentives for households to bridge this gap;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Points out the geothermal sector’s potential, especially for heat production, in rural areas for farming; notes that the agricultural sector is suffering from the sharp rise in energy prices and that increased support for geothermal energy in rural areas would strengthen European agricultural policy and the continent’s food sovereignty;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission to take appropriate steps to ensure that geothermal projects are better taken into account when using existing funds and instruments; asks the Commission to consider setting up a dedicated geothermal fund or to dedicate resources under existing funds to geothermal projects, especially to support innovative technologies such as, but not limited to, closed-loop technology that has the potential to harness geothermal energy in formerly inaccessible areas, and geothermal storages for waste heat utilization and installation; notes the importance of facilitating access to capital for innovative companies in the geothermal sector, especially SMEs;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission to take appropriate steps to ensure that geothermal projects are better taken into account when using existing funds and instruments; asks the Commission to consider setting up a dedicated geothermal fund, which should also comprise geothermal storages (esp. seasonal storages) as means of waste heat utilization and installation and transformation of heat networks;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission to take appropriate steps to ensure that geothermal projects are better taken into account when using existing funds and instruments; asks the Commission to consider setting up a dedicated geothermal fund, including geothermal storages for waste heat utilization and installation as well as transformation of heat network;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission to take appropriate steps to ensure that geothermal projects are better taken into account when using existing European funds and instruments;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission to take appropriate steps to ensure that geothermal projects are better taken into account when using existing funds and instruments; asks the Commission to consider setting up a dedicated geothermal fund intended to support exploration, development, modernisation and popularisation of use of geothermal resources;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Stresses that geothermal construction and the preceding exploration phase involve high investment sums and major entrepreneurial risks in the initial phase with regard to successful drilling for hot thermal fields which prevents many companies from investments; for that reason, expresses the opinion to introduce hedging mechanisms and guarantees such as exploration insurance with (co-)assumption of risk by the member states, especially in the initial phase, in order to accelerate the ramp-up of geothermal energy, as well as provide public funding for the preliminary seismological investigations that further develop the basic geological database;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 a (new) – given the available legislation, rules and technical and scientific papers on the use of geothermal energy for heating and cooling through heat pumps (also known as geoexchange, shallow geothermal or ground-source heat pumps or GSHP);
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Calls on the Commission to consider setting up dedicated research and industrial development funds for total reinjection and closed loops binary technologies, and in particular for closed loops utilizing underground heat exchange, thus potentially addressing many of environmental and climate issues and health risks in existing deep geothermal EU plants utilizing open loops technologies and surface heat exchangers. Moreover, calls on the Commission to evaluate a progressive EU and Member States' ban of support mechanisms and incentives for any additional open loop geothermal energy production and/or capacity.
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Calls on the Commission to develop cross-border cooperation in the field of geothermal energy to ensure that this energy source is exploited where administrative borders hinder the development of geothermal exploitation; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to continue supporting transnational mapping and geological modelling projects that will facilitate geothermal development;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. In line with the Renewable Energy Directive and in order to raise awareness among cosumer groups, stresses the importance to provide European Union guidance on Heat and Cold Purchase Agreements, as key tools for public- private partnerships financing geothermal projects at local level, in rural areas, in buildings and for industrial processes;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Calls on the Commission to gather all funding opportunities in a centralised portal to inform and give clarity to relevant stakeholders, especially SMEs;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Calls on Member States to fully make use of existing European funding opportunities to support re-skilling of the workforce, in particular but not limited to transition areas, with a view to new job opportunities arising from a widespread exploitation of the shallow geothermal energy potential;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Calls on the Modernisation Fund to prioritise projects using geothermal resources into existing or refurbished central heating systems and the establishment of new geothermal heating and cooling networks;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 c (new) 14c. Given the ongoing energy crisis, stresses that projects seeking to modernise heating systems that are approved or already in advanced stages of the approval process, should be be able to include geothermal energy without additional changes to their original project submissions;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 d (new) 14d. Calls for investments supported by the Modernisation Fund, which support the conversation of exiting district heating systems from coal to gas, to always consider the potential for geothermal energy to be supplied into such systems;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that the requirements of mining laws designed for large-scale mining projects are difficult to uphold in much smaller-scale geothermal projects;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that the requirements of mining laws designed for
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) – having regard to the Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’),
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 a (new) – having regard to its resolution of 21 January 2021 on access to decent and affordable housing for all2a. _________________ 2a Text adopted, P9_TA(2021)0020
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that the requirements of mining laws designed for large-scale mining projects are difficult to uphold in much smaller-scale geothermal projects; calls on the Member States to review and simplify existing mining laws, where necessary, or to develop dedicated permitting rules for geothermal; asks the Commission to provide guidelines to ensure the requisite level of coherence, intervening to address the fragmentation of national, regional, and municipal regulations, and distinguishing shallow geothermal from deep geothermal energy and the type of technologies used;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that the requirements of mining laws designed for large-scale mining projects are difficult to uphold in much smaller-scale geothermal projects; calls on the Member States to review and simplify existing mining laws, where necessary, taking into account that different geothermal technologies have significantly different impact and risks towards the geology, or to develop dedicated permitting rules for geothermal; asks the Commission to provide guidelines to ensure the requisite level of coherence;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that the requirements of mining laws designed for large-scale mining projects are difficult to uphold in much smaller-scale geothermal projects; calls on the Member States to review and simplify existing mining laws, wh
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that the requirements of mining laws designed for large-scale mining projects are difficult to uphold in much smaller-scale geothermal projects; calls on the Member States to review and simplify existing mining laws, where necessary, or to develop dedicated permitting rules for geothermal; asks the Commission to provide guidelines to ensure the requisite level of coherence, potentially by setting thresholds based on each plant's rated input;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that the requirements of mining laws designed for large-scale mining projects are difficult to uphold in much smaller-scale geothermal projects; calls on the Member States to review and simplify existing mining laws, where necessary, or to develop dedicated permitting rules for geothermal with particular simplification and support for these projects in island regions; asks the Commission to provide guidelines to ensure the requisite level of coherence;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that the requirements of mining laws designed for large-scale mining projects are
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Is concerned by the lack of financial resources and staff in the services responsible for examining applications for geothermal exploitation in certain Member States; recalls that procedures must not be accelerated at the expense of environmental and seismological project requirements and to this end calls for future geothermal sector legislation to require Member States to better equip the services tasked with examining subsurface exploitation projects;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Notes the differences between geothermal exploitation in urban and rural settings; draws attention to the specificity of urban geothermal heating projects and calls on Member States to develop accelerated and simplified permitting procedures for geothermal heating projects, including facilitated access to urban plots suitable for geothermal plants;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 b (new) – having regard to the Commission Communication of 14 October 2020 on A Renovation Wave for Europe - greening our buildings, creating jobs, improving lives3a. _________________ 3a COM(2020)789 final
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Expresses concerns that geothermal projects experience lengthy permitting processes; urges Member States to create streamlined, simplified and digital permitting processes by creating a single-point of contact for the whole permitting process across authorities;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Notes additionally the necessity to evaluate and revise existing EU water laws such as the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive which currently complicate the process of exploring geothermal projects;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Calls on the Commission to grant geothermal and solar thermal, a similar exemption from EU procurement regulations as the one already in place for renewable electricity generation;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15b. Urges the European Commission to exempt renewable heating and cooling, such as geothermal energy, from EU procurement law analogous to the exemption for renewable electricity generation; highlights that other measures as exempting single services such a supply and construction services from the obligation of EU-wide tendering or publishing tenders for execution services when no approval has yet been obtained would already contribute in an enormous acceleration which would only be logical in view of the urgency of the projects resulting from the ambitious political climate targets;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15b. Calls on Member States to lessen permitting times by giving permits by default ensuring nothing stands against it as practised in some Member States;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 c (new) 15c. Regrets that – in contrast to other renewable technologies – a life cycle analysis is necessary for geothermal energy to be taxonomy-aligned which contradicts technology-neutral approach of the Taxonomy Regulation, minimizes the great potential of geothermal energy as a contribution to decarbonization, especially in heat supply, and exposes it to unequal competitive conditions to other renewable energy sources; calls therefore for an equal regulatory framework aligned with other renewable energies such as wind and solar in every respect;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes that permits for geothermal installations must be made extensible and flexible to cover the extraction of lithium or the production of hydrogen from existing capacity under the same lease; recalls that the EU's REPowerEU plan has a production target of 10 million tons of clean hydrogen by 2030 along with 10 million tons of imported clean hydrogen; asks, therefore, the Commission to explore the potential of geothermal energy to contribute to these objectives;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes that permits for geothermal installations must be made extensible to cover the extraction of
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital -A (new) -A. Whereas geothermal energy is a valuable and local source of renewable energy that can provide, in a cost-effective way, dispatchable electricity, heat or a combination of both and has great potential for the power sector and for heat production;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes that permits for geothermal
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes that permits for geothermal installations producing electricity must be made extensible to cover the extraction of lithium or the production of hydrogen from existing capacity under the same lease;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Notes that permits for geothermal
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Notes that the current administrative procedures to apply for geothermal projects is characterised by delays, fragmented information, and shortage of skilled workforce and resources; calls, therefore, on the Commission and Member States to fast- track and simplify the permitting of geothermal projects, including via the creation of a 'one-stop-shop' for all geothermal projects in each Member States and to increase support for local authorities with adequate skilled workforce, training, and resources available to assess projects; notes, in this regard, that the inclusion of deadlines for projects assessment should be based on tacit approval; notes, further, that all administrative procedures should be received or emitted digitally in every Member States;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Notes at the same time that industry regulations concerning the setting up of geothermal heating and cooling systems (geoexchange, shallow geothermal or GSHP) require a simplified approach as regards the systems' generally shallow installation depth, the value of investments, all potential added value and their generally negligible environmental impact; it will, in particular, be necessary to establish specific closed-loop circuits (with geothermal probes) and open-loop systems (where water is pumped from an aquifer and is then discharged either there or into a surface water body);
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Urges the Commission to significantly simplify and shorten permitting procedures for geothermal projects as they still face too lengthy approval procedures with extensive nature preservation studies although the projects are mainly below ground and rarely affect nature preservation concerns; notes that streamlined legal procedures, particularly concerning laws aiming at species protection along with potential temporary exceptions, and the introduction of stringent regulations regarding project timelines, have the potential to notably reduce the time required for the planning and execution of geothermal projects.
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Regrets that, in contrast to other renewable technologies, a life cycle analysis is necessary for geothermal energy to be taxonomy-aligned which contradicts technology-neutral approach of the Taxonomy Regulation, minimizes the great potential of geothermal energy as a contribution to decarbonization, especially in heat supply, and exposes it to unequal competitive conditions to other renewable energy sources; calls for an equal regulatory footing with wind and solar in every respect;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Recalls that "renewable go-to areas" outlined in the Renewable Energy Directive covers surface areas. Therefore, in order to support the developpment of geothermal energy, calls on the Commission’s guidance on their development to include the subsurface and facilitate the link with digalitsed one- stop permitting processes to standardise the geothermal market;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Observes that the current administrative processes for initiating geothermal projects are marred by delays, fragmented information, and a scarcity of qualified personnel and resources; Urges both the Commission and Member States to expedite and simplify the permitting of geothermal projects;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls on the Commission to issue guidance for permitting agencies on best practices about managing shallow geothermal permitting applications and potential interference with drinking water to accelerate the permitting process whilst ensuring the full application of environmental standards;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. Whereas the production and use of energy account for more than 75% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions and the recent disruption of the energy market highlighted the urgent need to increase Europe’s strategic autonomy;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls on the Commission to bring about the harmonisation of geothermal sector requirements from the top down to protect workers in the sector from the risks associated with geothermal energy, in particular radioactive deposits and gas emissions from wells;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls on the Commission to issue guidance on how to implement geothermal areas;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Notes that developers of geothermal projects face a fierce competition, notably with real estate developers, when accessing suitable land for future projects in or nearby urban areas; calls, therefore, on the Commission to include a legal instruction to Distribution System Operators, whose role is to plan, invest and manage heat and electricity systems, to jointly work with local authorities to produce local heat and cold plans centred on geothermal as a matter of overriding public interest in order to preserve suitable land in urban areas for geothermal projects; stresses, further, that this would aid the effective implementation of the Heat and Cold planning requirement outlined in the revised Energy Efficiency Directive and is based on the best practices across the EU where local authorities have successfully converted to renewable heating and cooling systems;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Draws attention to the specificity of urban geothermal heating projects; calls on Member States to include solutions allowing for facilitated access to urban plots suitable for geothermal heating plants;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Calls for the setting project assessment deadlines should be rooted in tacit approval principles;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 c (new) 16c. Is concerned by the multiple entries for geothermal in the Regulation ((EU) 2020/852) establishing a framework to facilitate sustainable investment; calls, therefore, on the Commission to review the classification of geothermal energy applications in the taxonomy provisions, in particular by removing the lifecycle CO2 emission criteria which is applied to geothermal and no other renewable sources, as this undermines access to private capital and negatively impacts the significant potential of geothermal energy to the decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 d (new) 16d. Calls on the Commission to promote EU manufacturing capacity of geothermal energy technologies, including via fast-tracking permitting processes for the expansion of facilities and creating adequate fiscal incentives;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 e (new) 16e. Underlines that when designing two-way contracts for difference for geothermal electricity projects, Member States shall incorporate, where appropriate, non-price services such as system adequacy; grid stability; storage, flexibility options; as well as the supply of renewable heating; cooling; the sustainable critical raw material extraction; as well as the real time costs of materials and labour into strike prices; notes that concessions for tenders shall be for the lifetime of the capacity;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Expresses its concern over the reported backlogs and delays in the installation of GHPs, the drilling of wells and the granting of the requisite permissions due to a shortage of qualified staff; calls for comprehensive measurements for re- and upskilling of workers to establish the conditions to qualify the relevant workforce for the ramp up of geothermal energy;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the majority of heat produced for the residential sector in the Union comes from fossil fuels;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Expresses its concern over the reported backlogs and delays in the installation of GHPs, the drilling of wells and the granting of the requisite permissions due to a shortage of qualified staff; calls on Member States to adopt action plans to boost upskilling and reskilling of workers for geothermal technologies;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Expresses its concern over the reported backlogs and delays in the installation of GHPs, the drilling of wells and the granting of the requisite permissions due to a shortage of qualified staff, including in permitting administration;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Stresses that most Member States have yet to implement the 2009 provision of Directive 98/70/EC regarding the promotion of energy from renewable sources, that calls on Member States to ensure that certification schemes or equivalent qualification schemes are available for installers of small-scale shallow geothermal systems and heat pumps;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls on Member States to ensure that certification schemes or equivalent qualification schemes are available for installers of small-scale shallow geothermal systems and heat pumps;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls on the Member States to launch a training programme for deep and shallow geothermal energy professions to ensure the sector’s needs are met quickly;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Welcomes projects supported by Erasmus+ to remedy the lack of qualified junior graduates in the geothermal energy value chain, such as the Geo3En program which aims at laying the foundation for a future Erasmus Mundus Master's degree in geothermal engineering; urges Member States to step up measures for skilling specialists for geothermal since sufficient number of workforce will be critical to meet the objectives for geothermal deployment;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure that the skills and capacity of permitting agencies and local authority heat and cold planners receive appropriate attention and support;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses that while the EU is the leader in geothermal research and development and manufacturing, support measures for next-generation geothermal technologies are needed at European and national level in order to support this position, particularly in geothermal storage and industrial applications; remarks the need to address the whole value chain to ensure the availability of the relevant material;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses that while the EU is the leader in geothermal research and development, high-value patents, scientific publications and manufacturing, support measures for next-generation geothermal technologies are needed at European and national level in order to support this position, particularly in geothermal storage and industrial applications;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses that while the EU is the leader in geothermal research and development and manufacturing, support measures for next-generation geothermal technologies are needed at European and national level, with particular regard to island regions, in order to support this position, particularly in geothermal storage and industrial applications;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas geothermal energy enables the production of renewable, local, constant and low-cost energy, thus contributing to the continent's energy sovereignty, the green transition, industrial competitiveness and the defence of the standard of living of European citizens;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Asks to prioritise underground pumped hydroelectric storage projects, particularly those developed on a basis of decommissioned mines and quarries convertible into water basins, in calls of EU Innovation Fund and Horizon Europe framework, since this solution can be a vital piece in development of decarbonised electricity systems;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Calls for more research and innovation in terms of improved and highly reliable pump technology, which is the core of every geothermal plant, as industry has to be stimulated to invest and develop new systems in order to modify current pump technology mainly used for oil and gas geothermal applications. Stresses that it is the strong objective to offer special geothermal pump technology for the utilisation in other geological environment compared to oil and gas (e.g. higher temperature suitability, higher horsepower necessity, alternative techniques);
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Recognises that underground thermal storage, especially in connection with the use of geothermal sources, could represent an innovative tool in non- urbanised and industrial areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support research and development for these solutions and to implement large- scale pilot plants;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Recognises that underground thermal storage, especially in connection with the use of geothermal sources, could represent an innovative tool; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support research and development for these solutions and to implement large- scale pilot plants;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Highlights the need to boost innovation and research in the development of reliable pump technology, which is the core of every component of every geothermal plant;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Points out that most Member States have not yet implemented the 2009 provision of the Directive 98/70/EC as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and calls, therefore, on Member States to ensure that third- party certification schemes are available for installers and drillers of small-scale shallow geothermal systems and heat pumps to guarantee that installations are carried out safely, efficiently, and in compliance with relevant regulations;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 7 Territories in transition: hydrocarbon and mining industry, skills and assets repurpose
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 7 b (new) Is concerned that there is a significant shortage of qualified professionals throughout the entire value chain; highlights that the need for a skilled workforce will further increase in the future; stresses, therefore, the need to invest urgently in skilling and reskilling the workforce for the geothermal sector;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. Whereas geothermal energy can contribute to the objectives laid out in the REPowerEU Plan, especially to increasing the production of clean energy and diversifying energy supplies;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 7 c (new) Notes that the skills and experience of professionals working in the oil and gas service industry is extremely valuable for the geothermal sector; stresses, therefore, the need to attract and support this relevant workforce to the geothermal sector, including by the creation of incentives and training programmes;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 7 d (new) Notes that only a limited number of university degrees are dedicated to geothermal energy, with a majority of them only covering basic skills, are short- time and voluntary; calls, therefore, on the need to adapt and strengthen the educational curriculums in engineering schools in each Member State by providing updated and quality degrees; calls on the Commission to consider the creation of specific training schools for geothermal and hydro engineers, notably via the Net-Zero Academies mentioned in the Net Zero Industry Act; underlines, overall, the need to raise awareness among students, university staff, and professors about the geothermal sector and its career opportunities;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Regrets that the potential of
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Regrets that the potential of depleted, abandoned and end of life hydrocarbon reservoirs for geothermal applications is not being fully tapped;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Regrets that the potential of depleted, abandoned or end of life hydrocarbon reservoirs for geothermal applications is not
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Underlines the important role of geothermal heating in the just energy transition as a source of decarbonised heat for communities with district heating networks across the EU;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Calls on the Commission to undergo an inventory of geothermal resource base and to prepare a best practice roadmap to transform these hydrocarbon assets;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 b (new) 20b. Notes that the large part of district heating and cooling systems are fossil fuels based in these territories in transition; underlines that many systems could be converted to geothermal and that this should be prioritised in the Modernisation and Cohesion Funds;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Draws attention to existing repurposing projects in decommissioned mines, where applied cavern thermal energy storage technology is able to provide heating or cooling; notes the development of projects which plan to use oil reservoirs for energy storage; takes note of ongoing projects to repurpose decommissioned oil and gas wells for geothermal applications, thereby greatly reducing exploration risks and drilling costs, without prejudice to the liability requirements and obligations on the former operators;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas geothermal energy technologies are included in net-zero technologies in the European Commission Net Zero Industry Act legislative proposal and heat pumps and geothermal energy technologies are categories deemed strategic net-zero technologies for Europe in the Net Zero Industry Act Annex;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Draws attention to existing repurposing projects in decommissioned mines, where applied cavern thermal energy storage technology is able to provide heating or cooling; notes the development of projects which plan to use oil reservoirs for energy or CO2 storage; takes note of ongoing projects to repurpose decommissioned oil and gas wells for geothermal applications, thereby greatly reducing exploration risks and drilling costs;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Notes that
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Notes that many of these projects are implemented by the
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Stresses that geothermal heating is provided locally, allowing local administrations to be more self-sufficient; highlights the relevance of geothermal heating to reducing dependency on energy imports from third countries and to the EU’s wider goals of increased strategic autonomy in the face of unstable energy supply;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Call on the Member States to prepare a public inventory of depleted, abandoned and end of life hydrocarbon infrastructure that has a potential to be used as geothermal resource; stresses the need to prioritise funds to carry out detailed studies of the conditions of this infrastructure in order to assess potential of each site;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Stresses the need, with a view to ensuring a fair transition, to offer fossil fuel industry workers the opportunity to undergo training to meet the needs of the sectors involved in the green transition, in particular for geothermal, which shares many common points with oil and gas exploitation;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23.
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23.
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Calls on the Member States to make use of existing European funding opportunities to support the re-skilling of the workforce in transition areas, with a view to capitalising on the jobs arising from geothermal projects;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Draws attention to the specific needs of the outermost regions to develop renewable energy sources in line with their geographical, geological and meteorological characteristics. Points out that, due to their geographical remoteness, these regions are not connected to European energy grids. Notes that a large proportion of the outermost regions are volcanic territories, presenting high potential for the production of both surface and deep geothermal energy. Underlines the essential role that geothermal energy can play in these regions to guarantee their energy autonomy;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas heat pumps and geothermal energy technologies are
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Recalls that many of the EU’s outermost regions rely heavily on fossil fuels to produce electricity; recalls that many of these regions are located in volcanic areas with great potential to produce electricity from geothermal resources; stresses that it is essential to offer technical and financial support for geothermal in the outermost regions to limit their greenhouse gas emissions and reduce their dependence on fuel imports;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Draws attention to geothermal heating’s role in the just energy transition across Europe as a source of decarbonised heating for communities with district heating networks; calls for EU, national and regional funds dedicated to the modernisation of existing networks to enable the deployment of this untapped source of heating;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Notes that geothermal energy together with district heating can apply as a renewable and stable source of energy and therefore contribute to the just transition across Europe; calls for funds to be dedicated to the modernisation of existing district heating and cooling networks to secure the utilisation of the potential;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Calls on the Just Transition Fund to incorporate the decommissioned oil and gas wells, as well as mining facilities, or conversion to geothermal heating, cooling or storage systems as a cost-effective and rapid way to accelerate the energy transition;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Draws attention to the online mapping of existing geothermal installations in a given city or region as a good practice which can raise the visibility of geothermal solutions and help support investment decisions; highlights that new demonstrations plants are needed to show that innovative geothermal techniques, particularly Geothermal Seasonal Storages and petro thermal projects, are feasible;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Draws attention to the online mapping of existing geothermal installations in a given city or region as a good practice which can raise the visibility of geothermal solutions and help support investment decisions; highlights that new demonstration plants shall demonstrate the feasibility and accessibility within particular innovative geothermal techniques;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Draws attention to the online mapping of existing geothermal installations in a given city or region as a good practice which can raise the visibility of geothermal solutions and help support public and private investment decisions;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Draws attention to the fact that geothermal systems use limited land use and above-ground structure requirements; calls for Member States to consider access to urban plots for geothermal plants to secure faster adoption in permitting;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Notes that public resistance remains a challenge for geothermal projects, particularly on the basis of environmental concerns such as the possible contamination of ground waters, gas emissions or water over-exploitation
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas the energy price crisis and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine demonstrate the need to strengthen our energy sovereignty and the rationale of long-term investment as opposed to the short-term profitability of certain resources such as gas, so as to protect the interests of the citizens of the European Union as a whole and the sound economic health of the continent;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Notes that public resistance remains a challenge for geothermal projects, particularly on the basis of environmental concerns such as the possible contamination of ground waters, gas emissions or water over-exploitation;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Notes that public resistance remains a challenge for geothermal projects, particularly on the basis of environmental concerns such as the possible contamination of ground waters, gas emissions or water over-exploitation; expresses the opinion that maintaining high environmental and transparency standards and as well as sustainable lifecycle assessment approach can serve as an efficient way of overcoming distrust;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Notes that public resistance remains a challenge for geothermal projects, particularly on the basis of environmental concerns such as the possible contamination of ground waters, gas emissions or water over-exploitation; expresses the opinion that maintaining high environmental, seismological and transparency standards
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Notes that public resistance remain
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25.
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Notes that public
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Notes that public resistance remains a challenge for geothermal projects, particularly on the basis of environmental concerns such as the possible
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Recalls that limits on the sale prices for geothermal energy must be imposed to help reduce energy bills, which are deeply affecting European households’ living standards and the competitiveness of the continent’s industry; stresses, in this regard, that as an affordable energy source, geothermal could be met with public support if it really helps lower their energy expenditures;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Notes that public acceptance related to new geothermal installations can be improved by involving local communities in the planning and implementation phase; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to produce guidelines and best practices, in collaboration with the industry and Member States, on how to engage with local communities;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Emphasises the significance of global cooperation, which involves exchanging best practices and engaging in collaborative research and innovation concerning geothermal technologies with pertinent third-party nations and organisation;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) – having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Union, particularly Articles 31 and 37 thereof,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. Whereas Europe needs to increase energy security in line with the REPowerEU Plan of May 18, 2022, geothermal energy offers a renewable, always-on and local source of energy that can contribute in decreasing energy imports from third countries and have the potential to provide low-cost electricity and high-quality heat to citizens and industries;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Highlights the very limited land consumption of geothermal projects, also compared to other renewable projects, which is favourable for public acceptance;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 b (new) 25b. Notes the importance of international collaboration, including the sharing of best practices and research and innovation on geothermal technologies, with relevant third countries and organisations; points out, in this regard, that the US and Japan established a cooperation agreement on geothermal energy; calls on the EU to develop similar agreements with its partners, such as but not limited to, Iceland, the US, the UK, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, and Kenya;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 b (new) 25b. Recalls that the mitigation of risks, particular seismological risks, must be a central part of the deep geothermal exploitation strategy; calls, therefore, on the Member States and the EU to bring on sufficiently well-funded examination and prospecting teams to study the subsurface and thus better prevent the risks associated with geothermal energy;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas buildings account for 40 % of final energy consumption in the EU and 36 % of its energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and whereas 75 % of EU buildings are still energy inefficient
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the industry estimates that geothermal can supply more than 25 % of the heating and cooling consumed in Europe and over 10 % of its electrical power, giving an important contribution in the process of becoming more resilient and strategically autonomous in energy as well as in the fight against energy poverty;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the industry estimates that using geothermal technology and ground- source heat pumps for heating and cooling can supply more than 25 % of the heating and cooling consumed in Europe and over 10 % of its electrical power;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the industry estimates that geothermal can supply more than
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. Whereas underground thermal energy storage requires the smallest land coverage and represents the most cost- effective method for thermal energy storage, it can also serve as a viable option for long-duration electrical storage, provided that sufficient support is extended to facilitate the commercial demonstration of such projects.
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. given the need to provide a shared and multilingual terminological glossary to the geothermal sector which makes explicit basic concepts concerning, for example, the use of deep, electric, high- enthalpy geothermal energy or of shallow, geoexchange, very low-enthalpy geothermal energy for heating and cooling via water-to-water heat pumps;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. Whereas geothermal energy is a renewable, immediately available, stable, net-zero and local solution to decarbonise district heating networks, in line with the Energy Efficiency Directive’s definition of “efficient district heating and cooling systems”.
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. Whereas the energy modelling used by the Commission for assessing decarbonisation pathways and associated policy options significantly underestimates the positive impact of geothermal energy and therefore needs improvement to aid effective policy design
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas geothermal energy represents a local, renewable, and constantly available energy source, with the highest capacity factor among renewable sources as well as low and predictable running costs;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 a (new) – having regard to the Commission proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Amending Regulations (EU) 2019/943 and (EU) 2019/942 as well as Directives (EU) 2018/2001 and (EU) 2019/944 to improve the Union’s electricity market design1a, _________________ 1a COM(2023)0148 – C9-0049/2023 – 2023/0077(COD)
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas geothermal energy makes it possible to offer energy at costs which remain constant in a context of increasingly volatile energy prices, and thus contributes to price stability;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas geothermal energy can provide economic opportunities for Member States and be a source of quality jobs, creating jobs that require local knowledge and cannot be exported;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. Whereas geothermal technologies can provide significant opportunities for the decarbonisation of the energy sector by making it possible to generate electricity, supply heating and cooling, offering thermal underground storage and a sustainable extraction of lithium and other minerals
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas geothermal installations do not require critical raw materials to the extent of other renewable technologies and typically requires much less land and is therefore easily integrated into the landscape and cityscape with most of the installation located subsurface;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas, according to industry estimates, more than 10 % of the EU's electricity could be produced by fully renewable geothermal energy sources (geothermal electricity or high-enthalpy geothermal);
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas geothermal heating, cooling and power has already contributed to reduce imports of gas and other fossil energy imports from Russia and can play a role in the European Union’s future security of supply;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas geothermal district heating has significant potential for the heating and cooling of urban centres located in areas with particular geological and hydrogeological characteristics, which could contribute to building local 'energy communities' and to collective self-sufficiency in renewable energy consumption;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas adequate and comprehensive policy conditions and frameworks are still missing at both the national and EU level to boost the development and use of geothermal energy in Europe;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) Cc. Whereas sector integration with geothermal technologies will play a crucial role in enhancing the flexibility and efficiency of the energy sector and decreasing its carbon footprint;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C d (new) Cd. Whereas the synergies on geothermal exploration with the national programme for general exploration targeted at critical raw materials, that each Member State shall draw up according to the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 b (new) – having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 10 July 2020 on a comprehensive European approach to energy storage2a and the Commission recommendation of 14 March 2023 on Energy Storage – Underpinning a decarbonised and secure EU energy system (2023/C 103/01)3a _________________ 2a Texts adopted_P9_TA(2020)0198 3a OJ C 103, 20.3.2023, p. 1–5
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C d (new) Cd. whereas underground thermal energy storage has the least land footprint and is the most cost-effective means of thermal energy storage, which can also provide long-duration electrical storage, if adequate support to commercially demonstrate such projects is provided;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 (new) -1 Notes the substantial potential of geothermal heat for industrial processes, in particular for low to medium energy intensive processes (below 200 degrees), which represents as much as half of industry production in Europe; stresses, in this regard, that developing the use of geothermal heat for this purpose will increase the competitiveness of European companies by providing a reliable and affordable source of heat supply;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that the development of technologies has broadened the area suitable for cost-efficient geothermal projects and their scope; stresses that the potential of low-temperature, shallow geothermal resources
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that the development of technologies has broadened the area suitable for cost-efficient geothermal projects and their scope; stresses the potential of all types of geothermal energy technologies, especially low-temperature, shallow geothermal resources that are available in all Member States;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that the development of technologies has broadened the area suitable for cost-efficient geothermal projects and their scope; stresses the potential of low-temperature, shallow geothermal resources that are available in all Member States; highlights the potential of deep geothermal projects;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that the development of technologies has broadened the area suitable for cost-efficient geothermal projects and their scope; stresses the potential of low-temperature, shallow geothermal resources that
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that the development of technologies has broadened the area suitable for cost-efficient geothermal projects and their scope; stresses the potential of ubiquitous low-temperature, shallow geothermal resources that are available in all Member States;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that geothermal energy has the potential to significantly contribute to the achievement of some of the EU’s most strategic goals, including reaching climate targets by decarbonising carbon-intensive sectors, and bolstering the EU’s strategic autonomy by strengthening energy security needs, reducing fossil-fuel dependencies on unreliable third countries, such as Russia, increasing the competitiveness of European industries and empowering consumers thanks to affordable and reliable heat and electricity supply;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Underlines the potential of geothermal energy to make a substantial contribution to attaining key strategic objectives within the EU, particularly in the context of meeting climate targets by decarbonising sectors with high carbon intensity;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Expresses regret that the deployment of geothermal energy is still too low due to limited public support for the sector and the inherent heavy investment; therefore calls for long-term support policies and public planning for the sector;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 a (new) – having regard to the Heat Pumps Action Plan to accelerate the roll-out across the EU by the European Commission,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses the need to tackle public misconceptions, address concerns and increase awareness through greater stakeholder engagement and strict application of environmental standards throughout all stages of geothermal energy projects;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Highlights that the need and potential for district heating is the highest in Northern and Central Eastern Europe and, conversely, the needs and potential for district cooling is the highest in Southern Europe; notes, further, that the need and potential for district cooling around the world, including in Europe, is likely to increase in the future as warmer temperatures and heatwaves are expected to become more frequent as a direct consequence of climate change; notes, in this regard, that some countries in the Middle East are already establishing contacts with relevant European companies and experts to import cooling technologies and knowledge for their domestic markets;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 a (new) Stresses that the development of geothermal energy has been held back by market logic, which has favoured investment in infrastructure that is financially profitable in the short term, whereas strategic planning by the public sector would have made it possible to speed up the deployment of geothermal energy, taking into account long-term considerations such as strengthening European sovereignty, lowering energy costs in the long term and reducing the environmental impact of energy production;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Highlights geothermal energy’s immediate potential to contribute to climate targets through geothermal heat connected to efficient district heating networks; underlines the need to modernise existing and build low- temperature district heating networks to enable the deployment of geothermal heat; this can support the creation of municipal heating plans and of national energy and climate plans, as required by the Energy Efficiency Directive;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Emphasises that the primary opportunity for harnessing geothermal energy in the EU is predominantly found in district heating and cooling systems and networks of shallow geothermal installations.
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Underlines the high potential of geothermal heat in domestic food production, in particular for the production of agricultural products, horticulture, and aquaculture; notes, however, that these sectors are currently dependent on fossil fuels for their production and emit large amount of greenhouse gas emissions; underlines, therefore, that the use of geothermal heat will contribute to decarbonise these sectors while reducing production costs as well as high energy costs and price volatility for farmers;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Highlights that the heating and cooling sector constitutes nearly half of the EU's overall final energy consumption and contributes as much as 35 % to the EU's greenhouse gas emissions related to energy use; Underscores the significant role geothermal energy can play in helping the EU achieve its climate targets, especially in the process of decarbonising the heating and cooling sector;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Points out that managing the development of geothermal energy as part of a public energy service would enable these objectives to be met more effectively;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Stresses that the greatest potential of geothermal energy use in the EU lies in district heating and cooling systems and networks of shallow geothermal installations; recalls, in this regard, that the heating and cooling sector accounts for almost 50% of the EU's total final energy consumption and as much as 35% of the energy-related EU’s greenhouse gas emissions; underlines, therefore, that geothermal energy can play an important role in the achievement of EU’s climate targets, notably in the decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector; urges the Commission and Member States to create strong incentives for modernising and expanding district heating and cooling networks as well as creating new incentives that favours 4th to 5th generation heating and cooling systems as much as possible; notes that this would support the creation of municipal heating plans and national energy and climate plans, as required by the Energy Efficiency Directive;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 e (new) 1e. Considers that geothermal energy should be taken into account when designating the geographical location of Net-Zero Industry Valleys as part of the Net-Zero Industry Act, in such a way that the Valleys should possibly be located in regions with geothermal energy potential, thanks to the constant, cheap, and renewable energy supply that it can provide;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 a (new) – having regard to the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 and the attached Delegated Regulation establishing the technical screening criteria for determining the conditions under which an economic activity qualifies as contributing substantially to climate change mitigation or climate change adaptation and for determining whether that economic activity causes no significant harm to any of the other environmental objectives12a _________________ 12a https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32021R2 139
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the development of geothermal beyond power generation and heating and cooling; stresses that the process of extracting lithium
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the development of geothermal beyond power generation and heating and cooling; stresses that the process of extracting
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the development and successful application of geothermal
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Stresses that geothermal energy will play an important role for the decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector and therefore contributes to the Union’s green transition, in particular for reaching climate neutrality in 2050; underlines that it is of utmost importance to accelerate the geothermal ramp-up across the Union;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Considers that geothermal energy represent an important alternative to replace Russian gas in the existing district heating system in Ukraine; calls, therefore, on the Commission to favour geothermal energy to support the safe and sustainable reconstruction of the country;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Believes the potential of geothermal brines raw materials mining should be further investigated to enhance and strengthen EU's geopolitical and economic resilience in raw materials and compounds secure supply chains, particularly strategic and critical raw materials;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Recognizes that geothermal energy is a non-intermittent renewable energy source that can play a pivotal role in the development of stable local renewable based energy systems, thereby enhancing the EU's energy, geopolitical and economic resilience;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Recognises that the potential of geothermal energy has so far largely been untapped, in part due to social barriers, such as the lack of awareness and knowledge among policymakers, local authorities, financial institutions, and the general public;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Draws attention to geothermal solutions, while photovoltaics, wind power and heat pumps dominate the discussion about the energy transition, geothermal energy plays still often a peripherical role in the discussion on renewable energy. Yet geothermal energy has enormous and so far hardly exploited potential for decarbonisation and to reduce Europe's dependence on fossil fuels and the associated energy imports for heat generation and electricity. Furthermore, it draws attention to geothermal solutions that are able to store excess wind and solar power for subsequent use in heating, cooling and power production, and their crucial role for the development of renewable-based energy systems; additionally it draws attention to geothermal solutions in the field of inactive mines where geothermal potential of mine water can be used;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Draws attention to geothermal storage solutions that are able to store excess wind and solar power for subsequent use in heating, cooling and power production, and their crucial role for the development of renewable-based energy systems; stresses, in this regard, that abandoned coal mines and aquifers are especially well suited for large-scale seasonal thermal storage or long duration electrical storage; notes the need to support the commercial development of aquifer storage and long-duration electrical storage through the EU’s Innovation Fund and provide market frameworks to incentivise seasonal thermal storage at an industrial scale in Europe; underlines, overall, the potential of geothermal energy for grid balancing due to its high capacity factor, flexibility of supply and dispatchable potential;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Draws attention to geothermal solutions that are able to store excess wind and solar
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Draws attention to geothermal solutions that are able to store excess wind and solar power for subsequent use in heating, cooling and power production, and their
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Draws attention to geothermal solutions that are able to store excess
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Notes the potential of shallow geothermal energy, of medium-depth geothermal Energy and deep geothermal energy in particular which can make an enormous contribution to the transition of the heat sector, also the potential of cascaded use, where the same geothermal fluid is used for multiple purposes; stresses the need to foster cross-industry synergies between geothermal and other sectors, including through shared use of sites, infrastructure, data and workforce skills;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Notes the potential of cascaded use, where the same geothermal fluid is used for multiple purposes; stresses the need to foster cross-industry synergies between geothermal and other sectors, including agriculture (e.g, the greenhouses heating and cooling in the agricultural and floriculture sector, as well as the agri-food processing supply chain) and through shared use of sites, infrastructure, data and workforce skills;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Notes the potential for geothermal energy as a renewable and stable contribution to the decarbonisation of district heating and cooling as required under the Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2023/1791 and the Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2023; underlines the need to modernise existing and build low-temperature district heating networks to enable the deployment of geothermal heat;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Draws attention that geothermal installations do not require critical raw materials to the extent of other renewable technologies, and all major investments are local; notes that taking into account sustainable lifecycle approach geothermal has lowest environmental impact compared to other renewable resources, and typically requires much less land and can be easier integrated into landscape;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Recognises that the current context marked by Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, the fight against climate change, and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic with its subsequent disruptions of supply chains, have clearly showed the need to boost the development and use of geothermal energy across the EU;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 14 Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Points out that the Member States do not all have the same potential for developing geothermal energy, nor the same resources to do so; calls, therefore, for the coordinated development of geothermal energy throughout the EU, with a view to building solidarity through the sharing of knowledge and best practice between Member States;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Underlines that technical solutions for exploiting shallow geothermal resources can be adapted and are already in use in certain Member States to harness the heating and cooling potential of sewer systems, aqueducts, and reservoirs;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Notes the potential of geothermal energy for industrial de-carbonisation. Highlights the successful experiences already implemented in the agri-food sector in different European regions.
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Regrets that potential of geothermal energy was not harvested sufficiently earlier and that its recent uptake is largely caused by energy crisis and an urgent need to ease a socio- economic pressure of heating and cooling demand in Europe; warns that that influx of subsidised cheap Russian gas has been effectively hampering the development of geothermal energy for years;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 2 a (new) Notes that high-quality data and figures lead to favourable political support and help setting ambitious energy targets;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the European Commission to establish a European Geothermal Alliance, including Member States, uptake sector, industry, scientific community, possible investors and civil society, to facilitate implementation of any future EU geothermal strategy. The European Geothermal Alliance should furthermore serve to support establishment of robust regulatory frameworks, sharing of best practices found in mature geothermal markets and to support sufficient manufacturing and skills needed for the attainment of the 40% domestic production target outlined in the Net-zero Industry Act (NZIA);
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the European Commission to propose an EU strategy to meet the target to triple geothermal capacity by 2030. The aim is to ensure a sound regulatory framework, permitting processes, digital geological data, implementation of the EU legislation, promotion of best practises, harmonised financial risk products, support for planning district and networked geothermal systems;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the Commission to prepare an Europe Geothermal Strategy to meet the target to triple geothermal capacity by 2030 and beyond, as announced in the REPowerEU plan; notes, further, that the purpose of the strategy should be to ensure the establishment of adequate regulatory frameworks for all forms of geothermal energy;
source: 754.723
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History
(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)
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