Production, consumption and cost of geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is a clean energy, which does not generate greenhouse gases or polluting waste. The investment costs, mainly in drilling and in equipment for the wells and the pumping of the water, are high (between 1 000 and 7 000 euros per kW installed). On the other hand, running costs are very low. In total, the cost per kWh produced is 0.03 euro for a geothermal power plant of 55 thousand kilowatts, which means that geothermal energy is one of the least expensive renewable energies. However, in the developed countries, the sites providing hot water with the best properties from a shallow depth are almost all exploited already.

In 2007, the geothermal electric power installed worldwide (that is to say, the theoretical power, taking no account of breakdowns and down-time for repairs and maintenance) was 9 737 MWe, providing effective working power of 8 595 MWe. The production of geothermal electricity is increasing slowly (+9% in the two years 2005-2007)

The principal producer countries of geothermal electricity are the following:

Source : ENEL (proceedings EGC 2007)

Unsurprisingly, these countries are all situated in active volcanic zones.
In the Philippines, geothermal electricity represents more than 20% of the electricity produced in the country and it is planned that this figure attains 50% rapidly. In Iceland, 80% of energy requirements are assured by the island's underground heat.
In France, more precisely in Guadeloupe (the Bouillante plants), the installed geothermal electricity capacity is 15 MWe, 100 times less than a nuclear power plant.

The direct recovery of geothermal heat (excluding geothermal heat pumps) concerns more significant quantities of energy than those produced in the form of electricity. Statistics for this form of energy are difficult to establish, as no precise and regular accounting exists of numbers of heat recovery units, nor is there any unique methodology worldwide.

In Europe, the principal consumer countries of geothermal heat in 2006 were the following :

The accounting for geothermal heat pumps (PACG) is even more difficult to establish, but it is known that this form of "domestic" geothermics is expanding rapidly.

In Europe, the countries using the most PACG's are the following :