A thematic meeting by the Global Geothermal Alliance will be held in conjunction with the IRENA General Assembly, January 12, 2020
A thematic session of the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) will be held in conjunction of the 10th session of IRENA’s Assembly.
The Assembly brings together Heads of State and Government, Ministers, Member delegations as well as heads of international and regional organisations, public and private entities and civil society representatives to contribute to the energy transformation dialogue.
The Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA), coordinated and facilitated by IRENA, serves as a global platform for enhancing dialogue, cooperation and coordinated action among governments, industry, intergovernmental organisations, financial institutions, and academia. Today, its constituency stands at 46 member-countries and 39 partner institutions.
Geothermal energy represents an abundant, competitive and predictable renewable energy source in several areas for power generation, and even more widely for direct use applications through low and medium temperature resources. In particular, geothermal heating applications can provide affordable heat, boost local development in the areas near the resource location, dramatically contribute to improve air quality in cities and decarbonise the heating sector.
Yet, geothermal energy remains underdeveloped; the installed capacity worldwide amounts to about 14 GW for power generation and 70 GW for heating. A broader adoption of all geothermal energy applications has been hampered by a variety of barriers, including high upfront investment cost, resource risks, inadequate policy and regulatory frameworks, and knowledge gaps among policy-makers and investors.
To improve the way information on geothermal resource potential is communicated to potential investors, IRENA, the International Geothermal Association (IGA), and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP) teamed up and trained more than 100 high-level stakeholders and geothermal practitioners on the specifications for the application of the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009 (UNFC-2009) to geothermal energy resources. Implemented under the GGA umbrella, the joint project also piloted the application of the standard in selected fields in Eastern Caribbean islands, Ethiopia, and Indonesia.
The Assembly will take place prior to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the World Future Energy Summit, taking place from 13 to 16 January 2020, which will also feature a number of events hosted by IRENA.
