Finalists announced for 2026 European Geothermal Innovation Award
The five finalists of the 2026 Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award have been announced, highlighting outstanding innovative work across Europe.
The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) has announced the list of five finalists of the 2026 edition of the Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award (EGIA 2026). The winner will be announced at the GeoTHERM expo & congress in Offenburg, Germany on 26-27 February 2026.
From a total of 16 nominations received, the EGIA Jury, whose members include experts from across Europe, has selected the five finalists. Below are short descriptions of the finalists, with the companies listed in alphabetical order:
- Deutsche Erdwärme GmbH – Advanced Injection Testing and Stimulation (Graben-Neudorf, Germany)
- Hephae Energy Technology – Beyond the Thermal Limit: Ultra-High Temperature Measurement-While-Drilling for Next-Generation Geothermal (UK)
- Herrenknecht AG – Urban Vibro Truck (Germany)
- OLI Systems – Geothermal Asset Integrity Modelling: Integrated Corrosion and Scaling Prediction Software (OLI Platform v12.5) (UK)
- QHeat – Unlocking Scalable Geothermal in Crystalline Rock Through Cost-Efficient and Collaborative Drilling (Finland)
More details on the projects of each finalist are available at the EGEC website.
The Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award is given to companies which have made an outstanding contribution towards the field of geothermal energy in the form of innovative products, scientific research or project initiatives. Last year’s EGIA was awarded to EnBW Energie for its pioneering CASCADE project, an innovative approach to lithium extraction from geothermal brines.
“The geothermal sector is one of the most innovative sectors in Europe’s economy. Every year, new research and innovation, in terms of technology but also business models, enable companies to provide better solutions to decarbonize our economy. Geothermal also supports local economic development by supplying electrical power, heating, cooling, thermal storage and valuable minerals to industry and communities,” said Philippe Dumas, Secretary-General of EGEC.
“To accelerate the market development of geothermal energy technologies, research and innovation allow these technologies to be less costly, more efficient, and easier to install anywhere.”
Source: EGEC