The Hague is hosting the European Geothermal Congress EGC 2019 on 11-14 June 2019 in the World Forum The Hague. This congress forms a stage to celebrate European excellency and to call for tailored tools to drive further geothermal deployment.
More than 800 participants are joining the European Geothermal Congress this week. The event, organised by the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) – the European association representing the geothermal sector – in cooperation with Stichting Platform Geothermie, BodemenergieNL, and the main event sponsor Energie Beheer Nederland B.V. (EBN), brings together stakeholders from the entire geothermal community for sessions covering science, innovation and markets, an exhibition, courses, and side events.
The deployment of geothermal energy currently remains far below the resource potential in Europe. Following the adoption by the European Union of a new framework for its climate and energy policy to 2030, European countries should look to the best practices to harness this energy source which can provide baseload, flexible energy for electricity and heating and cooling.
The Netherlands, a country that has made geothermal a corner stone of its energy transition, provides an excellent stage for EGC 2019. The hosting city of The Hague, which aims to become carbon-neutral by 2030, has at least four geothermal heating plants planned to become operational in the city in the next five years.
Liesbeth van Tongeren, Deputy Mayor of The Hague, said: “The Hague is committed to make the transition to clean energy, together with our citizens and companies. That’s why we are very proud to be the host city of the European Geothermal Congress, where experts can learn from each other how to use this clean energy source more efficiently. Geothermal is a clean energy source. In the next couple of years, around 15 geothermal wells can be added in and around the city, providing up to 100 000 households with clean and sustainable heat.”
“We believe in geothermal energy and see it as a more than excellent alternative to natural gas in the Netherlands,” said Jan Willem van Hoogstraten, CEO of the main sponsor EBN. “We believe that geothermal energy can help us to take big steps in the energy transition towards a sustainable energy system in the future.”
Many other local, national, and international political and industrial leaders also opened the event on Tuesday morning describing how Europe is leading the world in innovation and scientific excellence.
Photo credit: Philippe Stirnweiss
