Press Release: ICS-UNIDO Seminar on Innovative Ideas for Geothermal Energy Exploitation

Scientists, professionals, representatives of public institutions and companies operating in the Geothermal Energy field from different countries have gathered in Trieste to participate in the Seminar on Innovative Ideas for Geothermal Energy Exploitation (October 24-25, 2009), organised by ICS-UNIDO, the International Centre for Science and High Technology of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The opportunities of interaction and scientific co-operation offered by the Seminar will help optimising research efforts and investments in the field.  Definition of new initiatives, strategies and programmes, and relevant facilities needed for their implementation, have been discussed during the two days of lectures and round tables.

Crucial topics, such as unconventional geothermal systems, drilling technology, power plant innovation and optimisation, exploration and reservoir monitoring methods, have been addressed through co-ordinated and interdisciplinary approaches.

Geothermal Energy is a clean, stable and sustainable resource that is likely to emerge as a mainstream option for future Energy challenges in the 21st century.  Such challenges are related to the world's energy demand, that is rapidly depleting the stock of fossil fuel, and to the parallel increasing concern for the emissions and their impact on global climate change.

Geothermal heat has been used to produce electricity since the beginning of the 20^th century and the global installed geothermal power capacity is expected to reach 2GWe by the end of 2010.  In order to increase such figures and to facilitate the implementation of geothermal projects in developing countries and in countries in economic transition, the ICS Seminar offered a stage to set the road ahead in this crucial sector of renewable sources of energy.

An international School on Geothermics (26 October - 7 November) has been jointly organised by ICS-UNIDO and ICTP (The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics) after the conclusion of the Seminar.