IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v17y2024i16p4134-d1459729.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Opportunities and Challenges of Geothermal Energy: A Comparative Analysis of Three European Cases—Belgium, Iceland, and Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Rauan Meirbekova

    (ICETEC, Árleynir 2-8, 112 Reykjavík, Iceland)

  • Dario Bonciani

    (Consorzio per lo Sviluppo delle Aree Geotermiche (COSVIG), Via G. Carducci 6, 56044 Larderello, PI, Italy)

  • Dagur Ingi Olafsson

    (ICETEC, Árleynir 2-8, 112 Reykjavík, Iceland)

  • Aysun Korucan

    (Department of Economics, Middle East Technical University, Inonu Bulvari, Ankara 06800, Türkiye
    Energy Market Regulatory Authority, Ankara 06510, Türkiye)

  • Pinar Derin-Güre

    (Department of Economics, Middle East Technical University, Inonu Bulvari, Ankara 06800, Türkiye)

  • Virginie Harcouët-Menou

    (Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium)

  • Wilfried Bero

    (Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium)

Abstract

Geothermal energy is a unique energy source in the energy policy mix that would help the clean energy transition and energy independence, supporting the energy needs in heating and electricity. Although there have been studies on the opportunities and challenges of renewable energy, this paper is the first paper that concentrates on geothermal energy for three distinct countries, Italy, Belgium, and Iceland, for the first time. Using semi-structured interviews that will cover the stakeholders representing the quadruple helix (academia, citizens, policymakers, and industry), this paper aims to find the unique and common opportunities and barriers the geothermal sector has. Shared challenges include financial barriers, regulatory complexities, environmental issues, and the need for improvement in the social acceptability of geothermal energy. Despite these challenges, geothermal energy, a promising energy source for clean transition, could create opportunities like improved household welfare through combined uses in district heating and electricity and have the potential to generate employment opportunities.

Suggested Citation

  • Rauan Meirbekova & Dario Bonciani & Dagur Ingi Olafsson & Aysun Korucan & Pinar Derin-Güre & Virginie Harcouët-Menou & Wilfried Bero, 2024. "Opportunities and Challenges of Geothermal Energy: A Comparative Analysis of Three European Cases—Belgium, Iceland, and Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-27, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:16:p:4134-:d:1459729
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/16/4134/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/16/4134/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alexey Mikhaylov, 2020. "Geothermal Energy Development in Iceland," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 10(4), pages 31-35.
    2. Ignacio J. Perez-Arriaga & Carlos Batlle, 2012. "Impacts of Intermittent Renewables on Electricity Generation System Operation," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Batalla-Bejerano, Joan & Costa-Campi, Maria Teresa & Trujillo-Baute, Elisa, 2016. "Collateral effects of liberalisation: Metering, losses, load profiles and cost settlement in Spain’s electricity system," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 421-431.
    2. Luis M. Abadie & José M. Chamorro, 2014. "Valuation of Wind Energy Projects: A Real Options Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-38, May.
    3. Di Cosmo, Valeria & Malaguzzi Valeri, Laura, 2014. "The incentive to invest in thermal plants in the presence of wind generation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 306-315.
    4. Pahle, Michael & Schill, Wolf-Peter & Gambardella, Christian & Tietjen, Oliver, 2016. "Renewable Energy Support, Negative Prices, and Real-time Pricing," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 37, pages 147-169.
    5. Claudio Marcantonini & A.Denny Ellerman, 2015. "The Implicit Carbon Price of Renewable Energy Incentives in Germany," The Energy Journal, , vol. 36(4), pages 205-240, October.
    6. Cany, C. & Mansilla, C. & Mathonnière, G. & da Costa, P., 2018. "Nuclear contribution to the penetration of variable renewable energy sources in a French decarbonised power mix," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 544-555.
    7. Finn Roar Aune and Rolf Golombek, 2021. "Are Carbon Prices Redundant in the 2030 EU Climate and Energy Policy Package?," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3), pages 225-264.
    8. Fogelberg, Sara & Lazarczyk, Ewa, 2017. "Wind power volatility and its impact on production failures in the Nordic electricity market," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 96-105.
    9. Kyritsis, Evangelos & Andersson, Jonas & Serletis, Apostolos, 2017. "Electricity prices, large-scale renewable integration, and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 550-560.
    10. Jean-Henry Ferrasse & Nandeeta Neerunjun & Hubert Stahn, 2021. "Managing intermittency in the electricity market," Working Papers halshs-03154612, HAL.
    11. Cullen, Joseph A. & Reynolds, Stanley S., 2023. "Market dynamics and investment in the electricity sector," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    12. Urzúa, I.A. & Olmedo, J.C. & Sauma, E.E., 2016. "Impact of intermittent non-conventional renewable generation in the costs of the Chilean main power system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 810-821.
    13. Claudio Marcantonini, A. Denny Ellerman, 2015. "The Implicit Carbon Price of Renewable Energy Incentives in Germany," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 4).
    14. Hashemi, Seyed Mohsen & Tabarzadi, Mahdi & Fallahi, Farhad & Rostam Niakan Kalhori, Masoumeh & Abdollahzadeh, Davood & Qadrdan, Meysam, 2024. "Water and emission constrained generation expansion planning for Iran power system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    15. Villalobos, Cristian & Negrete-Pincetic, Matías & Figueroa, Nicolás & Lorca, Álvaro & Olivares, Daniel, 2021. "The impact of short-term pricing on flexible generation investments in electricity markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    16. Tapia-Ahumada, Karen & Octaviano, Claudia & Rausch, Sebastian & Pérez-Arriaga, Ignacio, 2015. "Modeling intermittent renewable electricity technologies in general equilibrium models," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 242-262.
    17. Anna Creti & Alena Kotelnikova & Guy Meunier & Jean-Pierre Ponssard, 2015. "A cost benefit analysis of fuel cell electric vehicles," Working Papers hal-01116997, HAL.
    18. Henriot, Arthur & Glachant, Jean-Michel, 2013. "Melting-pots and salad bowls: The current debate on electricity market design for integration of intermittent RES," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 57-64.
    19. David Cook & Ingibjörg Karlsdóttir & Inga Minelgaite, 2022. "Enjoying the Heat? Co-Creation of Stakeholder Benefits and Sustainable Energy Development within Projects in the Geothermal Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-21, January.
    20. Jean-Michel Glachant & Arthur Henriot, 2013. "Melting-pots and salad bowls: the current debate on electricity market design for RES integration," Working Papers EPRG 1329, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:16:p:4134-:d:1459729. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.