Norway's Geothermal Potential🌍

Last month, Kirsti Midttømme from NORCE, kindly gave us an interesting talk focusing on Norway's geothermal potential and the role it may play in the country's future energy mix.

Great number of attendees!

The presentation provided a comprehensive overview of geothermal resources in Norway, challenging the common perception that the country's lack of volcanic activity limits its geothermal viability. While Norway is not a high-temperature geothermal hotspot, Kirsti demonstrated that it still possesses significant potential across a range of applications. These include shallow ground-source heat pump systems as well as deeper geothermal reservoirs suitable for district heating and industrial-scale heat supply.

Overview of the status of Geothermal energy in Norway

One thing that really stood out was the extent of existing geothermal infrastructure already in operation in the Stavanger region. Locations such as iPark, the University of Stavanger and the Stavanger Forum area are actively utilising geothermal energy, effectively functioning as local energy hubs - often without widespread public awareness. This highlights that geothermal energy is not a future concept, but rather a quietly established component of the current energy landscape.

The talk also emphasised the strong alignment between Norway's existing subsurface expertise and the requirements for geothermal development. Skills developed through decades of petroleum activity - such as drilling technology, reservoir modelling and subsurface characterisation - are directly transferrable. This positions Norway, and in particular Stavanger, well to accelerate geothermal deployment, leveraging both technical knowledge and industrial capability.

Ongoing research initiatives led by NORCE, alongside several pilot projects across the country, are actively exploring new geothermal solutions. These include integrated energy systems and innovative approaches to subsurface heat extraction, further strengthening the case for geothermal as part of a diversified energy mix.

The session concluded with a Q&A, with topics ranging from technical considerations, such as closed-loop systems and the potential intersection with emerging resources like lithium, to practical and economic aspects of implementation. Questions around residential instillations, drilling costs and system longevity sparked particular interest. While upfront investment remains a key barrier, the long operation lifetime and relatively low maintenance requirements make geothermal systems an attractive long-term solution.

Overall, the discussion reflected a strong and growing interest in geothermal energy. As the energy transition progresses, geothermal has the potential to play a meaningful role - particularly in providing stable, low-carbon heat solutions that complement other renewable energy sources.

Once again, thank you Kirsti!

Sincerely,

EAGE Local Chapter of Stavanger