Government of Denmark to establish task force on geothermal heating
As part of an announcement on funding for clean energy technologies, the Danish government’s plan for a geothermal task force brings hope that support and emphasis on geothermal and its role for heating will be awakened in the country.
Climate technology is getting its own pool of funding as part of economic stimulus package announced together with the Finance Act for 2021 by the Danish government. The new agreement on economic stimulus contains climate measures for more than DKK 3 billion (or around USD 488 million/ EUR 402 million). The funding has been earmarked for among others things the phasing out of oil-fired boilers, geothermal (energy) and CO2 storage and a new pool for very specific technology.
For the establishment of geothermal energy utilisation for heating, the establishment of a task force is planned. The task force is to carry out an analysis to uncover the socio-economic potential for incorporation of geothermal heat in the district heating sector in Denmark.
In addition, the task force must develop a proposal for a concrete state aid model that can support a cost-effective development of geothermal energy and obtain state aid approval under EU state aid rules. The analysis should be completed by 2022.
So while the details on geothermal are sparse and the industry in Denmark does not seem to know much more than has been said, it still is a step forward that hopefully will help projects such as the one in Aarhus we reported over the weekend.
Source: Ing.dk