Government officials and industry leaders have heard the call: We need clean heat to power and decarbonize industry, agriculture and communities. Geothermal Direct Use (GDU) has the potential to provide carbon-free heat almost everywhere and across a wide-range of applications.

The landscape for GDU is evolving rapidly, with cutting edge technological developments putting GDU in the spotlight. Government officials and developers are starting to open their eyes to the potential of GDU as a source of low-cost, clean heat. Now how do we establish a global roadmap to fast track the uptake of GDU worldwide?

The Geothermal Direct Use: Global Forum & Tour was a complimentary online event hosted by the World Bank/ESMAP designed to accelerate the deployment of geothermal heat globally. Leaders — including government officials, developers and investors, multilaterals and other key funding agencies, and leading technical and legal advisors — gathered to learn from countries who have been successful in implementing GDU projects, innovators creating the technologies that could enable the earth’s heat to provide carbon-free power, and service providers that will help define best practices to a clean and competitive GDU future.

About the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP)

The World Bank and Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) provides technical assistance, knowledge and outreach to promote Geothermal Direct Use, including:

  • Technical assistance: supporting studies to assess the technical and economic feasibility of geothermal direct use, as well as those that build the enabling environment
  • Knowledge and outreach: promoting global awareness and understanding about GDU and its potential in order to ensure that it is fully considered in national energy planning