Work performed during the first 18 months
During the first 18 months of the Geothermal ERA NET the focus has been put on exchanging information on the status of geothermal energy utilization, including national support schemes and research, development and deployment (RD&D) activities and the creation of an inventory report on these activities.
Emphasis has also been put on gaining an understanding of the principal stakeholders, including key industry players for a successful, Europe-wide coordination of publicly funded national research, development, deployment and innovation geothermal energy programmes.
Great efforts have also been put on the preparation for a Joint European Data/Information platform called EGIP or European Geothermal Information Platform.
The consortium has met 5 times in physical meetings and in addition had several telephone conference on different issues. The first meeting was a kick off meeting that took place in Reykjavik Iceland in end of May 2012. Two times the consortium has met for annual meetings, first in Pisa, Italy in September 2012 and then in Budapest, Hungary in September 2013.
Then there were two workshops organized within WP3, one in March 2013, focusing on geothermal database State of the art and needs and then another one in June 2013, focusing on the feasibility study for the geothermal database. In connection to the WP3 workshops the coordinator organized a general working meeting for the ERA NET.
All planned milestones have been met, including the project website (www.gothermaleranet.eu), and deliverables that are due in the first 18 months are either submitted or in the last phase of review.
The next major steps in the Geothermal ERA NET process is to identify research gaps and opportunities for joint activities within participating countries. To find common interest and discuss joint research agendas.
