EU to meet geothermal electricity goal

EU geothermal electricity production is projected to come close to the European commission target of 1,000 MW-electric by 2010, according to figures from Paris-based consortium Eurobserver. This forecast is mainly based on additional capacity from new plants planned in Italy, Germany and Austria, as production is currently rising sluggishly. Geothermal heat production however continues to rise fast (EED 01/09/03), exceeding EU 2010 target by 30% in 2004. This is partly due to a sizeable growth in the heat pump market, the report indicates. See geothermal barometer.