Italy's most active research body in the geothermal field is the National Research Council (CNR) and, in particular, its Department of Earth System Sciences and Technologies for the Environment (CNR-DSSTTA). The Institute of Geosciences and Georesources (IGG), heir to the original International Institute for Geothermal Research (IIRG) founded in Pisa in 1970, is the most dynamic Institute in geothermal. The CNR-IGG coordinated the Italian projects of the CNR, VIGOR and the Geothermal Atlas of the South, participates in numerous international projects and is active in various associations (Unione Geotermica Italiana - UGI, International Geothermal Association - IGA, European Technology and Innovation Platform for Deep Geothermal - ETIP-DG, European Energy Research Alliance - EERA Geothermal). CNR-IGG collaborates with other CNR Institutes on the occasion of national and international projects, especially in the field of exploration and resources assessment. With regard to to the organization of subsurface and geothermal data, it collaborates with ISPRA at national level and with IGA and IRENA at international level. Heir to the National Geothermal Database (BDNG), IGG-CNR created and manages GeoThopica, combining research with public service.

In geothermal energy today IGG-CNR is mainly involved in:

  • research activities and national and international Projects. IGG-CNR provides advanced assessments of geothermal resources (geothermal potential, suitability, pre-feasibility and feasibility of geothermal projects) and carries out research and development for the optimization of exploration techniques and use of geothermal systems:
    • environmental impact monitoring and mitigation;
    • optimization of geo-exchange and storage techniques;
    • use of unconventional resources such as superhot, supercritical and geopressurized ones;
    • circular economy assessments, including the reuse of geothermal CO2 and the extraction of lithium and other critical elements from geothermal systems;
  • participates in European research coordination and policy activities and training
  • carries out training, information and dissemination activities (How we train and inform)
  • it manages and develops the Italian geothermal data infrastructure (GeoThopica, EPOS and IRENA)

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