Europe’s transition toward climate neutrality requires flexible, low-carbon energy systems able to provide electricity, heating, and cooling in a reliable and cost-effective manner. Geothermal energy, widely available across Europe, offers a stable renewable heat source, yet most existing geothermal plants operate in inflexible baseload mode and cannot easily respond to market fluctuations or rising system-wide demands for flexibility.
nGEL aims to transform this situation by developing the next-generation flexible geothermal trigeneration system. The project integrates an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), high- and low-temperature thermal energy storage (HTES and CTES), an absorption chiller, and an advanced energy management system (EMS). Together, these technologies enable a geothermal plant to dynamically alternate between producing electricity, heat, and cooling depending on energy prices, grid needs, and local demand.
The project’s overarching objectives are to:
• Demonstrate a flexible ORC plant capable of responding to electricity market signals;
• Enhance operational reliability under high ambient temperatures;
• Develop novel CTES and HTES storage for efficiency and cost reduction;
• Implement AI-based forecasting, control and EMS for optimal multi-energy operation;
• Quantify environmental, economic and societal impacts through LCA, techno-economics, and public engagement;
• Validate the complete system at an industrial-scale geothermal site in Türkiye.
By enabling trigeneration, improved flexibility, and storage-supported operation, nGEL contributes to EU strategies for renewable integration, reduced fossil fuel dependency, and a more resilient energy system.
