ORKUSTOFNUN

Their core work

Orkustofnun (the National Energy Authority of Iceland) is the country's principal institution for geothermal energy research, regulation, and resource assessment. They coordinate European-level efforts to align geothermal energy policies, environmental standards, and research funding across national programs. Their work spans the full chain from deep geothermal resource characterization to harmonizing environmental impact methodologies for geothermal deployment across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Orkustofnun's early H2020 engagement (2017) centered on building European research funding networks through the GEOTHERMICA ERA-NET Cofund — essentially connecting national geothermal programs. By 2018-2019, their focus shifted toward practical deployment challenges: environmental impact harmonization (GEOENVI) and deep geothermal implementation planning (SU-DG-IWG) under the SET Plan. This trajectory shows a move from funding coordination toward hands-on policy implementation for geothermal rollout.

Orkustofnun is moving from research network building toward operational support for deep geothermal deployment across Europe, making them increasingly relevant for projects tackling real-world geothermal implementation barriers.

How they like to work

Orkustofnun predominantly leads — they coordinated 2 out of 3 projects, both Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs), indicating they are trusted to organize multi-country efforts rather than just contribute technical work. With 37 unique partners across 15 countries from just 3 projects, they operate as a network hub connecting diverse national agencies and research bodies. This makes them an excellent anchor partner for consortia that need pan-European geothermal coordination credibility.

Despite only 3 projects, Orkustofnun has built a remarkably wide network of 37 partners across 15 countries — a direct result of coordinating ERA-NET and SET Plan support actions that inherently involve many national counterparts. Their network spans across European geothermal-active countries.

What sets them apart

Orkustofnun brings something few European partners can: Iceland's decades of operational geothermal expertise embedded in a national authority with regulatory mandate. They are not a university lab or consultancy — they are the institution that manages one of the world's most advanced geothermal energy systems. For any consortium needing credibility in geothermal governance, environmental compliance, or cross-border policy alignment, they are a natural anchor.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GEOTHERMICA
  ERA-NET Cofund that pooled national geothermal research budgets across Europe — Orkustofnun coordinated, demonstrating their role as a trusted pan-European geothermal governance body.
• SU-DG-IWG
  Direct support unit for the EU's SET Plan Deep Geothermal Implementation Working Group — places Orkustofnun at the center of European deep geothermal policy-making.
• GEOENVI
  Their largest single EC contribution (EUR 199k), focused on harmonizing environmental assessment tools for geothermal — bridging their energy expertise with environmental regulation.