Riddle me this: I’m renewable, local and carbon-free. I’m available 24/7. I can be used to produce electricity and heat buildings. More and more countries are turning to me to limit global warming. What am I? Answer: deep geothermal energy! We’ll tell you all you need to know to celebrate #WorldGeothermalEnergyDay in style.
What is deep geothermal energy??
- This is the use of the energy contained in fluids present in the earth’s subsoil at a depth of between 200 and 3,000 meters.
- This heat is used to generate electricity, heat district heating networks, power factories…
- The fluids used generally have a temperature of between 30 and 90°C.
- The technologies currently being developed should soon make it possible to exploit even hotter fluids, at over 450°C (and perhaps even higher!), and to have even more powerful power plants.
The 7 major advantages of geothermal energy
- Renewable
- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Low-carbon
- Efficient (1 kWh consumed for 20 kWh of heat produced)
- Price stable
- Local (no transport)
- Discreet (low impact on the landscape)
The 10 countries whose geothermal power generation accounts for the largest share of their total electricity production
26 countries worldwide use geothermal energy to generate electricity. They are mainly located in North America and Asia. In France, geothermal energy is still little used, despite its considerable potential.
Source: ThinkGeoEnergy Research 2024
The 10 countries with the highest share of geothermal power generation in their total electricity production
Renewable energy sources accounted for 29.1% of electricity generation in 2022, with fossil fuels, nuclear power, etc. making up the remainder. Between 2021 and 2022, renewable electricity increased by 7.2%, mainly due to the development of solar and wind power, which together account for 11.7% of the global electricity mix. Although geothermal electricity accounts for only a very small percentage of the global energy mix (increasing by just 2.3% between 2021 and 2022), it is set to increase in the coming years, although this does not prevent some countries from already relying heavily on geothermal power.
Source: ThinkGeoEnergy Research 2024 and IRENA
Geothermal power generation worldwide in 5 figures
The 5 countries with the highest direct use of geothermal energy (heat)
Unlike electricity production, which is an indirect use of geothermal energy, the energy contained in the subsoil can be used directly in the form of heat. This is the case for district heating, greenhouse cultivation, crop drying, fish farming, balneotherapy centers, community swimming pools, industrial processes and much more.
