29 Sept – 01 Oct 2026

European
Geothermal
Workshop 2026

Utilization of the Basement

📍
Location Institute of Applied Geosciences, TU Darmstadt, Germany
📅
Date 29 Sep – 01 Oct 2026
👥
Participants Up to 200 attendees
© Matthis Frey

Utilization of the Basement: European Geothermal Workshop 2026

The European Geothermal Workshop (EGW) 2026 brings together researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to discuss the latest advancements in geothermal research. Hosted by the Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt), Germany, the workshop will take place from 29th September 2026 to 1st October 2026. This year's special focus is the "Utilization of the Basement". Contributions on other geothermal topics are also very welcome.

The event is co-hosted by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). A major highlight of EGW 2026 will be the introduction of the GeoLaB project—a large-scale geothermal research infrastructure currently in preparation that aims to support advanced, complex experiments for researchers worldwide.

Workshop Sessions

Based on the special focus "Utilization of the Basement," the scientific program will feature the following sessions:

  • Exploration
  • Geothermal systems in basement formations
  • Numerical methods
  • Laboratory and field experiments and demonstrations
  • Geothermal engineering (district heating, power plant, drilling)
  • Geothermal energy in society and economy
  • Shallow and medium deep geothermal systems

Seven sessions in the order of the programme, plus a poster session with 30 posters on Wednesday afternoon.

Workshop registration is open.

4
Days incl. Friday excursion
7
Workshop sessions
30
Posters
3
Excursion sites

Conference Schedule

Conference programme from Tuesday, 29.09.2026 to Thursday, 01.10.2026, plus an optional Friday excursion.

Download programme (PDF)
Workshop registration
Open
Register via Converia
Workshop
29 Sep – 01 Oct 2026
TU Darmstadt, Germany
Optional excursion
02 October 2026
GeoLaB · Darmstadt BTES · 09:00–15:00, max. 50
Tue, 29 Sep
Wed, 30 Sep
Thu, 01 Oct
Fri, Optional
13:00 – 13:30
Conference Opening
David Bruhn (TU Delft · Fraunhofer IEG) · Carola Carius (Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas) · Ingo Sass (TU Darmstadt · GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences)
📣 Opening
13:30 – 17:00
Sessions 1 & 2 · coffee break in between (10–15 min)
1. Exploration – Chair: Virginie Harcouët-Menou (VITO) · 5 presentations (EX1–EX5)
2. Geothermal systems in basement formations – Keynote: Peter Meier (Geo-Energie Suisse) · Chair: Eugenio Trumpy (CNR – Italian National Research Council) · 4 presentations (BF1–BF4)
🎓 2 Sessions
18:00 – 21:00
Icebreaker
TUDa Botanischer Garten
🎉 Social
9:00 – 12:00
Sessions 3 & 4 · coffee break in between (10–15 min)
1. Numerical methods – Chair: Florian Wellmann (RWTH Aachen University · Fraunhofer IEG) · 6 presentations (NM1–NM6)
2. Laboratory and field experiments and demonstrations – Chair: David F. Bruhn (TU Delft · Fraunhofer IEG) · 7 presentations (LF1–LF7), opening with the GeoLaB block
🎓 2 Sessions
12:00 – 13:30
Lunch Break
Mensa TU Darmstadt
🍽 Lunch
13:30 – 15:00
Session 5 · Geothermal engineering (district heating, power plant, drilling)
Chair: Fiorenza Deon (GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences) · 6 presentations (GE1–GE6)
🎓 Session
15:00 – 15:30
Coffee Break
Before the poster session
☕ Break
15:30 – 17:00
Poster Session
30 posters (P1–P30, the board number) · presenters are asked to be at their poster during that time
🎓 Posters
18:00 – 21:00
Conference Dinner
„Röders“, close to Darmstadt Central Station
🍷 Dinner
9:00 – 12:00
Sessions 6 & 7 · coffee break in between (10–15 min)
1. Geothermal energy in society and economy – Keynote: Alessandro Sciullo (University of Turin) · Chair: Francesco Rizzi (Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa) · 4 presentations (SE1–SE4)
2. Shallow and medium deep geothermal systems – Chair: Lukas Seib (TU Darmstadt) · 4 presentations (SM1–SM4)
🎓 2 Sessions
12:00 – 13:30
Lunch Break
Mensa TU Darmstadt · departure for the excursion at 14:00
🍽 Lunch
14:00 – 19:00
Excursion
EnBW, Bruchsal · limited to 50 participants
🚌 Excursion
9:00 – 15:00
Optional Excursion
Darmstadt site, GeoLaB site · limited to 50 participants
🚌 Optional
Main conference dates: Tuesday, 29.09.2026 to Thursday, 01.10.2026. The workshop is single track: the two sessions of a half day run one after the other, separated by a short coffee break of 10 to 15 minutes. Each talk is a 15-minute slot (10 minutes plus 5 minutes discussion), keynotes included. Wednesday afternoon is the exception: the engineering session ends at 15:00 and the poster session starts at 15:30. Elsewhere the exact changeover between the two sessions of a block is announced on site. The Friday excursion is optional. Based on the preliminary programme of 25 September 2026.

Presentation & Poster Guidelines

Everything contributors need to prepare their poster or talk for EGW 2026. Please read these notes before you travel to Darmstadt.

📋
Posters

Please print and bring your poster in DIN A0 portrait format to the venue. The poster session is on Wednesday, 30.09., 15:30 – 17:00; please be at your poster during that time.

🎤
Oral presentations

10 minutes presentation plus 5 minutes discussion.

🎨
Templates

There are no official conference templates. Please feel free to use your institution’s or company’s corporate design.

💾
Slide submission

To ensure smooth transitions, please hand in your presentation on a USB flash drive in the morning before the sessions begin.

Questions about your contribution? Get in touch via the contact section.

Registration & Fees

Register for a workshop ticket via Converia. Standard and student rates are listed below. Registration for the Icebreaker, Conference Dinner and excursions is no longer available.

Standard

Student

Venue & Getting There

The workshop takes place at B2|02 Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, TU Darmstadt, in Darmstadt, Germany.

📍

Conference Venue

B2|02 Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften
Schnittspahnstraße 9
64287 Darmstadt, Germany

🍽

Lunch Venue

Mensa TU Darmstadt (Lichtwiese)
Wednesday & Thursday, 12:00 – 13:30

🍷

Conference Dinner

„Röders“, close to Darmstadt Central Station
Wednesday, 18:00 – 21:00

🚌

Excursion Sites

Darmstadt BTES · GeoLaB site · Bruchsal site (EnBW)
Bus transport provided (Thu & Fri)
Each excursion is limited to 50 participants

How to get here

The Institute of Applied Geosciences is on TU Darmstadt's Botanischer Garten campus, at Schnittspahnstraße 9.

🚌

Bus & tram

From Luisenplatz or Schloss, take bus L towards TU Lichtwiese/Campus and get off at Botanischer Garten/Vivarium. From Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof, tram 2 takes you to Schloss, where you can change to bus L. Check the current HEAG mobilo timetables before travelling.

🚗

Parking garages

Parking options include the TU Darmstadt Parkhaus Lichtwiese (Eugen-Kogon-Straße 31) and the Schlossgarage/Karolinenplatz in the city centre. From either garage, bus L goes to Botanischer Garten/Vivarium: board at TU Lichtwiese/Campus or Schloss, respectively. Please check opening hours and availability before travelling.

Contact

Geothermal Science and Technology · Institute of Applied Geosciences · TU Darmstadt

Ingo Sass
Ingo Sass
Organizing Committee
ingo.sass@gfz.de
Lukas Seib
Lukas Seib
Organizing Committee
seib@geo.tu-darmstadt.de
Simone Ross-Krichbaum
Simone Ross-Krichbaum
Organizing Committee
ross-krichbaum@geo.tu-darmstadt.de

Sponsors & Partners

EGW 2026 is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors and funding partners.

Interested in sponsoring EGW 2026? Contact the organizing team for sponsorship packages.

Contact Us

Secure Your Spot at EGW 2026

29 September – 01 October 2026 · TU Darmstadt, Germany
Workshop tickets available

Register for the Workshop