The four-year Horizon Europe Innovation Action project UPLIFT seeks to demonstrate how multi-stage Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) stimulation can be implemented safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively in Europe. The project was officially launched in May 2026 and will run until April 2030. Field-scale demonstrations will take place at the RINGEN research site in Litomerice, Czechia.
While recent technological breakthroughs in the United States have demonstrated the potential of extracting heat from hot, low-permeability rocks, transferring these approaches to Europe requires solutions adapted to European geological conditions, regulatory frameworks, and societal expectations.
UPLIFT seeks to address this challenge by developing and validating innovative technologies and operational approaches designed to improve geothermal reservoir productivity while reducing environmental and seismic risks. The project will focus on four key questions:
- How can geothermal well productivity be improved across different geological settings?
- How can injection-induced seismicity be mitigated, particularly in populated areas?
- How can multi-stage stimulation treatments be performed more cost-effectively?
- How can public trust and social acceptance of EGS technologies be strengthened?
A key component of the project is the development of a new Micro Turbine Drilling (MTD) bottom-hole assembly (MTD-BHA) prototype which will allow for improved reservoir access and more efficient and safe permeability enhancement. This will involve studying the self-propping stimulation behavior of representative European basement rocks through laboratory experiments, and benchmarking with acid and proppant-based stimulation methods.
High-fidelity, physics-based Digital Twins will also be developed to guide detailed EGS, MTD, and stimulation design to support real-time operational decision-making. Moreover, local seismic monitoring networks will be advanced to monitor and quantify induced seismicity risks and implement adaptive risk mitigation strategies.
Ultimately, these developments will be demonstrated at a pilot EGS site in Litomerice to demonstrate cost and time reductions, improved geothermal performance, safety, and risk management. This could help unlock petrothermal energy potential in Europe, thus facilitating an increase in renewable electricty and heat from deep geothermal energy.
UPLIFT brings together eight partners from five countries including:
- GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (Germany)
- Charles University (Czechia)
- Geo-Energie Suisse AG (Switzerland)
- Fraunhofer IEG (Germany)
- Solexperts AG (Switzerland)
- Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre (Sweden)
- European Federation of Geologists (Belgium)
- ETH Zürich (Switzerland)
Source: Fraunhofer IEG and UPLIFT
