Programme

3 September 2026

European Conference

Unlocking Geothermal Heating and Cooling Markets

Location: The Gibson Hotel, Point Square, Dublin 1

Morning

Opening Session

Welcome from Philippe Dumas (Secretary General, EGEC)
Rory Dunphy (Chairperson, GAI) - Industry’s role in shaping Irelands Geothermal Future
Seán Kelly, Member of the European Parliament - Keynote

Coffee break

SESSION 1 Selling Geothermal Heat: Models, Markets and Lessons from Europe

Sanjeev Kumar (Policy Director, EGEC) - Moderator
Erika Salmenvaara (CEO & Co-Founder, QHeat) - From energy cost to strategic asset: The value of geothermal in the built environment
Nora Heijnen (Programme Manager, EBN) - From Mapping the Subsurface to Selling Heat – The Dutch approach to developing geothermal heat markets
Dr. Sarah Blake (Geothermal Programme Head, GSI) - Waking a sleeping giant: how do we unlock the geothermal potential beneath Dublin?
Q&A

Lunch

Afternoon

SESSION 2 Ground Source Heating and Cooling as a Service: New Markets and Models

Dr. Joe Ireland (Business Development Manager, GeoServSolutions / Vice-Chair, GAI) - Moderator
Arnaud Latiers (Co-Founder, KARNO) - GSHP Heat Networks in Belgium
Tuomas Humalajoki (CEO, Geonova) - Geothermal Heating as a Service in Finland
Rüdiger Grimm (CEO, geoENERGIE Konzept GmbH) - Geothermal for Grid Optimisation: Berlin Infrastructure Planning
Stephen Gallagher (Managing Director, Centrus Healthcare Investments Limited) - Irish Geothermal Markets: Healthcare
Q&A

Coffee break

SESSION 3 Geothermal as Infrastructure: Financing Geothermal Deployment

Terence McGovern (Director, KPMG Ireland) - Moderator
Elise Heath (Investment & Business Development Manager - Kyotherm) - Project Financing Geothermal Projects
Diarmaid Kehoe (Head, EIB Group Office in Ireland) - Q&A

Closing remarks

Exclusive Evening Event at Jameson Distillery in Dublin

Location: Bow Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7

Starting at 19:30

Continue the conversation after the conference with a special evening at the historic Jameson Distillery Bow St. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, a guided distillery tour and whiskey tasting, followed by dinner and an opportunity to connect with speakers and fellow participants in a relaxed and memorable setting.

4 September 2026

Workshop Making Geothermal Investable in Ireland: Finance, Risk and Delivery

Location: The Gibson Hotel, Point Square, Dublin 1

This Workshop will be a unique opportunity for service providers, investors, and heating/cooling end-users from Ireland and across Europe to collaborate on defining a roadmap for growing geothermal in a new market. End-users, public sector bodies, and investors will get the chance to learn directly from geothermal companies what it takes to deliver geothermal projects. In turn, geothermal companies will get to better understand the challenges from client and investor perspectives, and how these can be solved.

Please note that the capacity of the Workshop is strictly limited to a maximum of 70 persons.

9:00 - Opening Session

Translate Day 1 insights into real project opportunities

9:45 - From Case Studies to Project Pipeline Session Introduction

Dialogue discussion #1
• What international geothermal models can be replicated?
• What works in practice and what doesn’t?
• What changes need to be made to enable delivery?

10:30 - What Would It Take to Invest Session Introduction

Dialogue discussion #2

Direct engagement with infrastructure investors
Risk, Returns, Investment structures
Geo EaaS - Understanding what is required to unlock capital
Pathways to apply for capital

11:15 - Coffee break

11:45 - What Could Be Built First in Ireland Session Introduction

Dialogue discussion #3

1. Near-term opportunities:

Residential development
Data centres
Public sector estates
Healthcare facilities

2. Pharma

Target setting for first projects
Draft roadmap for future projects

12:30 - Closing remarks and next steps to delivery

13:00 - Lunch

Get your ticket here!