EUROPEAN GEOTHERMAL ENERGY COUNCIL

Their core work

EGEC is the Brussels-based industry association representing the geothermal energy sector across Europe. They drive policy advocacy, coordinate EU technology platforms (ETIPs) for deep geothermal and renewable heating/cooling, and work to remove regulatory and financial barriers to geothermal deployment. Their H2020 involvement focuses on environmental assessment of geothermal projects, risk mitigation frameworks for investment, and strategic planning through the EU SET Plan implementation working groups.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier H2020 period (2016–2018), EGEC focused on foundational work: environmental impact harmonization, regulatory frameworks, life cycle assessment methodology, and building the European Technology and Innovation Platform for deep geothermal. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted toward implementation — SET Plan working groups, financial strategies for public investment, and concrete technology improvements like ORC systems and thermal storage. This evolution mirrors the geothermal sector's own maturation from proving environmental viability to scaling deployment.

EGEC is moving from advocacy and assessment toward operational deployment support, making them an increasingly valuable partner for projects that need to bridge the gap between geothermal research and market uptake.

How they like to work

EGEC balances leadership and partnership roles — they coordinated 3 of 8 projects while participating in 5 others, indicating they can drive agendas but are equally comfortable contributing sector expertise to larger consortia. With 86 unique partners across 15 countries, they operate as a well-connected hub rather than sticking to a fixed set of collaborators. As an industry association, their main value in consortia is sector-wide representation, policy access, and dissemination reach across the European geothermal community.

EGEC has built a broad European network of 86 unique partners across 15 countries, reflecting their role as a pan-European industry body. Their connections span research institutions, national geological surveys, energy companies, and policy bodies across the geothermal value chain.

What sets them apart

EGEC is the single most connected industry voice for geothermal energy in EU-funded research — no other organization combines sector-wide representation with direct involvement in both ETIP governance and SET Plan implementation. For consortium builders, partnering with EGEC means instant access to the European geothermal industry's policy channels, member network, and dissemination infrastructure. They are particularly strong at translating technical research into policy-ready frameworks and investment strategies.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GEORISK
  Largest funded project (EUR 281,522) where EGEC served as coordinator, addressing the critical barrier of investment risk that holds back geothermal deployment across Europe.
• SU-DG-IWG
  Direct involvement in the SET Plan Deep Geothermal Implementation Working Group — positions EGEC at the heart of EU geothermal policy execution.
• GEMex
  International cooperation with Mexico on Enhanced Geothermal Systems, demonstrating EGEC's reach beyond European borders into global geothermal R&D.