The geothermal market - France

Geothermal energy is the use of the natural heat of the ground or groundwater as a means of heating or producing energy( mainly electricity). Collectors are buried in the ground and connected to a boiler to generate constant heat for heating a home in winter and cooling it in summer. At a depth of 60 cm, for example, the ground temperature is a constant 14°. There are several different types of geothermal energy: shallow, low-temperature geothermal energy, deep, high-temperature geothermal energy and very deep, high-temperature geothermal energy. There is also high-energy, low-energy and very low-energy geothermal energy. Geothermal energy accounts for less than 4% of heat production in France and 5% of electricity production. France's potential for geothermal energy production is over 3,000 MW of geothermal electricity, which is a significant figure; 90% of the country could be covered by surface geothermal energy. This market brings together around a hundred companies in France and more than 15,000 jobs in energy companies and geothermal specialists. Despite tax credits, the geothermal market has been slow to take off in the residential sector (whereas it was booming in the was booming in the 1970s, it came to a halt with the fall in oil prices in the 1980s). Nevertheless, in 2023, the geothermal heat pump market is up 19% in value terms on 2022, and the recovery of the new housing market could boost this market segment over the next few years. In 2023, against a backdrop of rising electricity and hydrocarbon prices, geothermal energy is becoming an alternative to traditional energy sources, and the government has launched an ambitious plan to promote this still little-known energy source.