Deep geothermal permit applications have doubled this year in France

Traveling near Paris to inaugurate the new Saint-Denis geothermal power plant, intended to supply the Olympic Village and then heat the equivalent of 7.500 homes, Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher welcomed this "very clear increase", seeing in it " the first concrete results" of the national action plan for geothermal energy launched in February, according to a press release.

“This is the first year where we have had so many permit requests,” the minister’s entourage told AFP.

In addition to measures to extend the action plan overseas (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Mayotte, Réunion), the minister announced the launch of an export strategy for the sector, mainly made up of SMEs. for whom "it is difficult to know the markets in the world and to dare to apply", according to those around him.

The mission was entrusted to Geodeep, a group of companies which already promotes French know-how and skills in geothermal energy abroad.

Geothermal energy is experiencing renewed interest across Europe to decarbonize heat production.

It consists of drilling into the ground and drawing heat from it for heating or electricity but also for cooling or cooling. A sort of free radiator, the temperature of the basement increases with depth.

Deep geothermal energy uses temperatures above 30°C to produce industrial heat, provide heating networks, power greenhouses, heat swimming pools, etc., according to the association of professionals in the sector AFPG.

Surface geothermal energy, coupled with a heat pump, is intended for individuals or buildings for heating or air conditioning.

The government's ambition is to quadruple the rate of deployment of deep geothermal projects by 2035, from 2,3 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2021 to 6 TWh in 2030, then 8 or even 10 TWh in 2035.

For surface geothermal energy, we would go from 3,9 TWh in 2021 to 10 TWh in 2030, then 15 or even 18 TWh in 2035, according to government projections contained in the Energy Climate Strategy document.

In March, the government action plan increased aid for the installation of geothermal heat pumps to 5.000 euros. It also provided for an investment in the mapping of the subsoil, in the number and training of drillers and a strengthening of the allocation of the geothermal guarantee fund, as well as the launch of a call for projects from Ademe (Agence de ecological transition) in favor of feasibility studies for surface geothermal energy.