EGS in different geological conditions

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

Geothermal resources at medium-high temperature can produce at competitive costs electricity, heat or a combination of both. Routinely created enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) offer the opportunity to produce geothermal energy throughout Europe, including in locations where natural reservoirs are not available. In order to increase the number of geothermal installations, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) have to be demonstrated as cost-competitive whereby innovative solutions are needed to allow for applications in geologic systems with different characteristics and of different origin.

Proposals should aim at testing EGS systems to ensure reservoir productivity in different geological settings and energy production at competitive costs. Proposals could propose up-scaling existing EGS systems.

TRL 7 shall be achieved at the end of project activities (please see part G of the General Annexes).

Opening the project's test sites, pilot and demonstration facilities, or research infrastructures for practice oriented education, training or knowledge exchange is encouraged.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 6 to 10 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

The actions will provide the data and the experience required to lower the costs for geothermal electricity and heat production in different geological conditions applying the EGS technology. The action will contribute to increase the penetration of geothermal energy by demonstrating the viability of EGS.