Spotlight on Innovation: Research Breakthroughs from CRM-geothermal
Europe’s journey to climate neutrality by 2050 depends on securing the materials that power the green transition. The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), adopted in 2024, lays the foundation for Europe’s strategic autonomy, ensuring reliable access to essential resources for renewable energy technologies, energy storage, and electrification.
Yet, beyond securing supply chains, the CRMA must also deliver affordable energy, public trust, and local benefits. Many communities see extraction projects as conflicting with their well-being, while high energy prices continue to affect households across Europe. The challenge is clear: how can Europe align resource extraction with social equity, environmental protection, and cost-effective clean power?
This in-person session at the European Parliament will spotlight research and innovation breakthroughs from the CRM-geothermal project, an EU-funded initiative exploring how critical raw materials (CRMs) can be extracted sustainably from geothermal fluids, linking renewable energy generation with responsible resource recovery.
By coupling geothermal energy production with CRM extraction, this approach offers a model for reducing costs, cutting emissions, and creating shared value across Europe’s regions.
Date & Venue: European Parliament, Brussels
Format: In-person
Registration:
https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/crm-geothermal-ep
Agenda:
12:00 – 12:05
Welcome: MEP Nicolás González Casares – S&D
12:05 – 12:20
Keynote (TBC): MEP Davor Ivo Stier – EPP
12:20 – 12:35
Keynote Presentation:
“Critical Raw Materials and Renewable Energy: Building the Foundations for Affordable Clean Power in Europe”
Simona Regenspurg – GFZ Helmholtz-Centre for Geosciences
12:35 – 13:20
Panel Discussion: Harnessing Innovation to Secure Raw Materials and Power the Energy Transition
This discussion will explore how integrating CRM extraction with renewable energy production can strengthen Europe’s clean energy capacity, enhance supply security, and lower costs—while ensuring that the CRMA’s implementation remains fair and inclusive.
Panellists:
- Christine Banken, European Commission, DG Energy
- Mark Harris, Cornish Lithium
- Simona Regenspurg, GFZ Helmholtz-Centre for Geosciences
- Kestutis Kupsys, European Economic and Social Committee (2020-25), consumer rights activist
- Emily Ritchey, Transport & Environment (T&E)
- Panel moderator: Pavlos Tyrologou, European Federation of Geologists
13:20 – 13:30
Closing Remarks: MEP Nicolás González Casares
“Making the Energy Transition Affordable and Inclusive for All Europeans”
Event moderation: Katrin Kieling, GFZ Helmholtz-Centre for Geosciences
Why Attend?
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Discover how CRM-geothermal innovations link resource extraction and renewable energy for a circular, low-carbon economy.
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Engage with policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and civil society on the next steps for CRMA implementation.
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Explore new business and social models that make Europe’s energy transition both affordable and inclusive.
