Role of Subsurface Data in Accelerating Renewable Energy Roll-Out

May 16, 2024

The Geological Service for Europe (GSE), once established, will be a key player in facilitating these efforts by providing comprehensive, high-quality subsurface data and advanced geoscientific expertise.

The GSE will offer a centralized repository of subsurface data via its knowledge hub EGDI (European Geological Data Infrastructure), making it accessible to commercial entities, regulators, and the public, which will streamline regulatory approvals and promote a faster rollout of renewable energy infrastructure.

Figure: Green Deal Policy & Earth Systems are Interconnected

Enhancing Renewable Energy Development

Subsurface data is critical for identifying suitable locations for renewable energy projects such as geothermal, wind and energy storage (especially hydrogen) installations. This ensures that renewable energy sources are developed in the most optimal and sustainable manner, maximizing efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. By accurately mapping the subsurface, we can significantly improve the site selection process for renewable energy areas, ensuring that these areas are not only viable but also exploited in a sustainable manner.

Accurate geological surveys and data are the starting point for the identification of the most suitable locations for renewable energy installations, ensuring that these areas are sustainably and efficiently utilized. This is crucial for optimizing subsurface (and land) use and ensuring that renewable energy projects do not conflict with other development or environmental conservation efforts.

Supporting the Pre-Permit Phase

High quality pan-European subsurface data will support the pre-permit phase of renewable energy, energy storage and CCS projects. For example, characterizing potential CCS European sites with porosity, permeability, seal integrity, storage capacity and geochemical interactions it is the foundation of a pan-European carbon storage system.

By providing precise geological data early in the planning process, we can reduce uncertainties and risks and expedite policy and investment decision-making.

Sustainable Exploitation of Resources

Ensuring the sustainable exploitation of renewable energy resources involves understanding the geological context to prevent adverse environmental impacts. The GSE and EGDI will play a vital role in this by:

  • Using subsurface data to predict and mitigate environmental impacts (e.g. on groundwater resources)
  • Providing guidelines and frameworks for sustainable resource exploitation (e.g. by supporting a pan-European implementation of the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources, UNFC)

Attracting International Investors

Comprehensive and reliable subsurface data and geoscientific knowledge will be the basis of independent advice for a broad range (public and private) stakeholder. This is a very valuable asset that can attract international investment. Investors seek certainties and reduced risks: high-quality subsurface data provides the confidence needed for significant investments in renewable energy projects.

Figure: Geothermal risks and costs (Tharom and Hadi, 2020)

The GSE will serve as an example of transparency and reliability, showcasing European commitment to robust, data-driven project planning and execution. This will not only attract financial investments but also foster partnerships and collaborations with global stakeholders.

Conclusion

The establishment of the Geological Service for Europe will mark a significant step towards achieving the EU's Green Deal and net-zero targets. By providing high-quality subsurface data and geoscientific expertise, we can ensure the efficient and sustainable large-scale deployment of renewable energy projects, streamlining the pre-permit phase, attracting investors, and properly designating and sustainably exploiting renewables acceleration areas. This initiative underscores the importance of leveraging geological data to support the EU's transition to a long term sustainable and climate change resilient energy system.

Back
September 17, 2025

Raw materials are essential for the energy transition, used in everything from clean energy infrastructure to advanced technologies. But there is something even more important that makes progress possible: ๐‚๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐š๐›๐จ๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งย - between scientists, institutions, and nations. ๐Ÿค ๐Ÿ“ Next week at the Society...

Show post on LinkedIn
September 16, 2025

๐Ÿ’ก From project outputs to real-world impact - that's the journey we're excited to explore next week at the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS) Technical Workshop! Our Project Manager, Francesco Pizzocolo, will highlight how our work on strategic and critical raw materials, together with wider...

Show post on LinkedIn
September 11, 2025

๐Ÿ“ฃ We are excited to announce the first batch of speakers for the workshop โ€˜Land Subsidence in Europe: from Science to Managementโ€™! ย  This workshop takes place in Brussels (Belgium) 13-14 Nov and registration is still open. It is jointly organized by GSEU - Geological Service for Europe, Geologica...

Show post on LinkedIn
September 10, 2025

Who will be at the Global Energy Transition Conference (GET 2025) next month? We're proud to host a dedicated session: ๐’๐ฎ๐›๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐Ÿ๐š๐œ๐ž ๐ˆ๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ž๐ญ-๐™๐ž๐ซ๐จ: ๐ˆ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐†๐ž๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐œ๐š๐ฅ ๐’๐ž๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐œ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐„๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐žโ€™๐ฌ ๐†๐ž๐จ๐„๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐€๐ญ๐ฅ๐š๐ฌ ๐Ÿ” Discover the brand-new Pan-European Atlas of Sustainable GeoEnergy Capacities, ...

Show post on LinkedIn
September 3, 2025

๐ŸŒ Building a sustainable Geological Service for Europe means planning ahead, connecting the dots, and setting a clear vision - and these three new deliverables are part of that work across all our areas of expertise: ๐Ÿ”น Report on networking and clustering actions, rules and recommendations for fut...

Show post on LinkedIn
September 1, 2025

๐Ÿ“ฃ We are proud to announce that we are co-organizing the โ€˜Land Subsidence in Europe: from Science to Managementโ€™ workshop, for which registration is now open! ย  Land subsidence affects almost all areas humans conduct subsurface activities, ranging from mining and hydrocarbon exploration, to groun...

Show post on LinkedIn