IP/04/350

Brussels, 16 March 2004

Europe at the forefront in research on solar, wave and geothermal energies

Today at the "Solar platform" test site in Almeria (Spain) the European Commission presented the state of play on its research programmes in alternative energy sources, including solar thermal, wave and geothermal energy. World energy consumption will double over the next 50 years, with Europe currently depending heavily on foreign energy sources. Currently, 41% of EU energy consumption is based on oil, followed by gas (23%), coal (15%), nuclear (15%) and only 6% is based on renewable energies. The threat of global climate change and the warnings about energy security will force Europe to drastically change and diversify its sources of supply, relying more and more on renewable energy. The EU has set out a strategy to double the share of renewable energy, from the present 6% to 12% by 2010. Within its 6^th Research Framework Programme (FP6 2003-2006) the EU will devote €810 million to renewable energy sources. The projects showcased today include "European Hot Dry Rock" using geothermal energy, "Wave Dragon" using wave energy, and "Sol Air" using solar thermal.

"Although fossil fuels will stay with us for a long time, we have to develop alternative energy sources to make Europe's economic growth really sustainable," said European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. "Wave, geothermal and solar energy are promising but still represent a relatively small share of the overall energy balance. More research is needed to make them really cost-effective and encourage their take up alongside other alternatives energy sources. Projects presented today by the Commission show this is feasible. More research coupled with other incentives, such as tax breaks and better access to capital, can boost their use and make Europe not only cleaner, but also more competitive."

Many alternatives for Europe

So far, the EU conducts research and technological development on several renewable energy technologies such as wind, biomass, solar photovoltaic, concentrated solar thermal, ocean (wave, tide and osmosis) and geothermal. Today's briefing shows Europe's leadership in developing and implementing ground-breaking research and technology transfer in geothermal, concentrated solar thermal and wave energies.

Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy makes use of the natural heat of the earth, and is therefore available to consumers at any time of the day or night, independent of weather and climate conditions. In Europe, about 95,000 dwellings are heated by geothermal energy. It has the capacity to generate about 1000 MW of electric power and has already been installed in Europe.

The EU project "European Hot Dry Rock" will be presented at the briefing.

The project (with partners from France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland), utilizes widened natural fracture systems and injects water at high pressure that is then heated and returned to the earth's surface via several production wells. A heat exchanger transfers energy to a second circuit that drives a turbine generator to produce electricity. Europe is currently the world leader in this technology. The European test site is located in Soultz-sous-Forêt (FR).

For further information please visit

http://www.soultz.net

Ocean energy

Ocean energy makes use of tidal effects or waves to produce energy. The European teams developing tidal current devices, which extract energy from the sea current generated by tides, are world leaders. No other developers have shown progress beyond the theoretical drawing board. Two systems, producing 300kWe each, are currently being tested. The teams developing wave energy devices, which convert the movement of waves into useable energy, are also leading the world in this area.

The EU research project Wave Dragon, to be presented at the briefing, is the world's first offshore wave energy converter producing power for the grid in Denmark. The project team includes partners from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, & the UK. Moored in water, the 237 tonne Wave Dragon recuperates energy that is generated by 'overtopping' waves. The water is initially stored in a reservoir and then passed through turbines which produce electricity. This prototype is a quarter the quarter of the size of the full system. In comparison with traditional hydroelectric power stations, this new technology is competitive. Plans to build and deploy power production units elsewhere in the EU are already underway. For further information please visit

http://www.wavedragon.net

Concentrated solar thermal energy:

Concentrated solar thermal energy utilises optical systems to use direct sunlight to generate heat. European consortia are taking the lead by developing new components and new concepts: the Sol Air Project uses mirrors to redirect the sun's energy towards a ceramic receptor that heats air which is, in turn, used to heat water. The vapour of the water then activates turbines which produce electricity.

European industry is now the owner of this particular technology, which is unique worldwide. In the future, the size of solar power plants using central tower technology may vary from 10MWe to 100MWe, depending on the demand and on the land available. The potential of this new technology is great and participants at the briefing will be shown what is effectively an active 'solar power station'. The project team includes partners from Spain, Germany, Greece and Denmark.

For further information please visit:

Solar Platform:

http://www.psa.es/webeng/index.html

ANNEX

SOLAIR- Project Partners contact list

Solucar S.A. Inabensa S.A.	ES	Mr. Rafael Osuna	+34 (95) 493 7111	rosuna@solucar.abengoa.com
HelioTech Aps	DK	Mr. Per Stobbe	+45 (2087) 0092	ps@heliotech.dk
DLR	DE	Dr. Klaus Hennecke	+49 (2203) 601.32.13	klaus.hennecke@dlr.de
CIEMAT	ES	Dr. Manuel Romero	+34 (91) 346.64.87	manuel.romero@ciemat.es
CERTH/CPERI	GE	Dr. Ilias Mavroidis	+30 (31) 498.196	imavr@alexandros.cperi.forth.gr
IBERESE S.A.	ES	Mr. Francisco Trascasa	+34 (944) 804 757	iberese@iberese.co

EUROPEAN HOT ROCK Project Partners contact list

Contractor	'	'	'	'
PHASE 1 (2001-2004)	'	'	'	'
E.E.I.G.* "Heat Mining" (co-ordinator) E.E.I.G. is composed of Electricité de France (EDF), Ente Nazionale per l'Energia Elettrica (ENEL), Pfalzwerke AG, Electricité de Strasbourg, Bestec Gmbh, Shell (for phase 1)	F, I, D, NL	Jörg Baumgärtner	+33 (3) 8880 9914	baumgaertner@soultz.net
Institut für Geowissenschaftliche Gemeinschaftsauftragen (GGA)	D	Reinhard Jung	+49 (511) 643 2820	r.jung@gga-hannover.de
Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)	F	Sylvie Gentier	+33 (2) 3864 3877	s.gentier@brgm.fr
Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR)	D	Reinhard Jung	+49 (511) 643 2820	r.jung@bgr.de
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)	F	Bertrand Fritz	+33 (3) 9024 0412	bfritz@illite.u-strasbg.fr
Université de Neuchatel	CH	François Vuataz	+41 (32) 718 26 92	francois.vuataz@unine.ch
Ruhr Universität Bochum	D	Fritz Rummel	+49 (234) 322 7361	Fritz.Rummel@ruhr-uni-bochum.de

PHASE 2 (2004-2007)	'	'	'	'
E.E.I.G. "Heat Mining" (co-ordinator)	F, I, D	Jörg Baumgärtner	+33 (3) 8880 9914	baumgaertner@soultz.net
Institut für Geowissenschaftliche Gemeinschaftsauftragen (GGA)	D	Gunnar Grecksch	+49 (511) 643 3540	grecksch@gga-hannover.de
Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)	F	Sylvie Gentier	+33 (2) 3864 3877	s.gentier@brgm.fr
Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR)	D	Norbert Ochmann	+49 (511) 643 2351	n.ochmann@bgr.de
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)	F	Bertrand Fritz	+33 (3) 9024 0412	bfritz@illite.u-strasbg.fr
Deep Heat Mining Association (DHM)/Univ. de Neuchatel	CH	Robert Hopkirk François Vuataz	+41 (1) 920 5420 +41 (32) 718 26 92	robert.j@hopkirk.ch francois.vuataz@unine.ch
GTC Kappelmeyer GmbH	D	Jürgen Dornstädter	+49 (721) 60008	Dornstaedter@GTC-info.de
MeSy Geo-Mess-Systeme GmbH	D	Fritz Rummel	+49 (234) 54531	mesy.bochum@t-online.de
Institutt for Energiteknikk	N	Jiri Muller	+47 (63) 806 185	Jiri@ife.no

*E.E.I.G.: European Economic Interest Grouping

Wave Dragon Project partners contact list:

Löwenmark FRI	Erik Friis-Madsen	+45 3537 0211 +45 2810 0830 (mobil)	DK	Loewenmark@city.dk
SPOK ApS	Hans Chr. Sorensen	+45 3536 0219 +45 2811 0219 (mobil)	DK	consult@spok.dk
Balslev AS	Henrik Rosenberg	+45 7217 7342	DK	her@balslev.dk
Aalborg University Dept. Civil Eng.	Jens Peter Kofoed	+45 9635 8474 +45 2536 3936 (mobil)	DK	i5jpk@civil.auc.dk
Armstrong Technology	Duncan Dunce	+44 191 257 3300	UK	Duncan.Dunce@babcockbes.co.uk
Promecon as	Jens Praest	+45 3634 3550 +45 2427 7616 (mobil)	DK	jpn@promecon.dk
Veteran Kraft AB	Evald Holmén	+46 861 83911	SE	evaldholmen@chello.se
TU München, LHM	Wilfried Knapp	+49 89 289 23808	DE	knapp@lhm.mw.tu-muenchen.de
Kössler Ges.m.b.H.	Werner Panhauser	+43 2742 885272	AT	office@koessler.com
Nöhrlind Ltd	Taus Nöhrlind	+44 776 542 5066 +45 4016 3218 (mobil)	UK	tn@nohrlind.com
ESB International	Tommy Bree	+353 1 703 8254	IRL	tommy.bree@esbi.ie
NIRAS AS	Claus Gormsen	+45 4810 4284	DK	clg@niras.dk

Non-hydro renewable energy in the EU15 (2001 figures)

'	Installed generating capacity (MW)	Electricity produced (GWh)
Concentrated Solar Thermal	- '	-'
Ocean (wave, tide)	240	543
Geothermal (conventional)	587	4612
Wind	17136	27194
Solar Photovoltaic	284	217
Solid Biomass	5083	20785
Municipal Solid Waste	2280	14221

Source: International Energy Agency (IEA) Statistics: Renewables Information 2003

Estimated electricity production cost for selected sources of renewable energy

'	Current electricity production cost (€/kWh)	Target electricity production cost (€/kWh)	Target electricity production cost (€/kWh)
'	'	2010	2020
Concentrated Solar Thermal	0.16 0.20	< 0.10	0.05
Ocean (wave, tide)		0.10 0.30	0.05
Geothermal: Hot-Dry-Rock	0.20 0.30	0.08 0.15	0.05
Wind: onshore	0.04 0.09	0.035 in 2008	'
Wind: offshore	0.07 0.12	0.05 in 2008	'
Geothermal: conventional	0.05 0.09	0.02 0.05	'
Solar Photovoltaic	0.50 1.00	0.20	0.10 in 2015
Solid Biomass (combined heat and power)	0.06 0.10	0.05	'

Source: Energy Technology Scientific & Technological Reference: Indicators (EC progress report 2002)-

Electricity generated from geothermal energy in the EU15 in 2001:

Country	Installed power capacity (MWe)	Produced electricity (GWh)
Italy	785	4507
France (Guadeloupe)	4	25
Portugal (Azores)	16	94
Total EU15	805	4626

Source: Lund, GHC Bulletin, June 2001

Estimated electricity generated from Hot-Dry-Rock in Soultz-sous-Forêts in 2006:

Test site	Installed power capacity (MWe)	Potential annual electricity production (GWh)
Soultz-sous-Forêts	5-6	30-40

Source: Hot Dry Rock project

Concentrated Solar Thermal

Demonstration Power Plant in planning

(Source: IEA, SolarPACES Annual Reports)

Spain: 120MW (4 projects)

Italy: 30MW (1 project)

European Test facilities

(Source: IEA, SolarPACES Annual Reports)

Country	Size	Type of concentrator
France	1 MWth	Solar furnace
Germany	20 kWth	Solar furnace
Spain	7 MWth	Central Tower
'	2.5 MWth	Central Tower
'	1.2 MWth	Parabolic through
'	1.3 MWth	Parabolic through
'	60 kWe	Parabolic dishes
Switzerland	45 kWth	Solar furnace

Wth = watts thermal (heat)

Countries with research teams

(Source: IEA, SolarPACES Annual Reports)

Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland

Ocean Energy

Installed Power Capacity (Electricity Power Plant)

(Source: International Energy Agency (IEA) Statistics: Renewables Information 2003)

France = 240MW, Tidal barrage of La Rance

Installed Prototypes in Europe

(Source: European Thematic Network on Wave Energy)

Country	Electric Power Capacity (kW, design value)	Type
Denmark	20	Offshore wave device
Norway	300	Tidal current turbine
Portugal	400	Onshore wave device
UK	500	Onshore wave device
	300	Tidal current turbine

Countries with device developer teams

(Source: European Thematic Network on Wave Energy)

Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, United Kingdom