From 18 to 20 November 2025, the geothermal industry gathered for this year’s Geothermal Congress (DGK) at the House of Logistics and Mobility (HOLM) in Frankfurt am Main. Around 590 participants – once again more than in the previous year – used Germany’s largest industry meeting to discuss current developments, research findings, and strategies for expanding geothermal energy.
We organised the congress together with Fraunhofer IEG, the Hessen State Energy Agency (LEA), and the partner country United Kingdom. The political significance of geothermal energy was evident in the fact that Hessen is taking a pioneering role with new initiatives such as the simplification of legal framework conditions.
In her opening speech, BVG President Dr Karin Thelen emphasised the growing momentum of the industry and the importance of geothermal energy for climate protection, energy sovereignty, and value creation in Germany. In his keynote, Prof Dr Rolf Bracke (Fraunhofer IEG) outlined the necessary steps to industrialise geothermal energy – from scaling drilling capacities to accelerating approval processes.
With around 280 presentations from 18 countries, this year’s programme was particularly international. The United Kingdom, as partner country, presented itself with its own workshop and insights centred around the newly founded National Geothermal Centre.
As every year, outstanding achievements were honoured:
Prof Dr Simona Regenspurg received the Patricius Medal for her wide-ranging scientific contributions and her commitment to networking within the geothermal community.
Dr Hesam Soltan Mohammadi was recognised as Young Scientist of the Year.
A special award was presented to Dr André Deinhardt for his long-standing efforts to strengthen the political standing of geothermal energy.
The poster prize was awarded to Helen Krauß (TU Darmstadt) for her experimental work on the thermal properties of bedding materials.
Next year, the DGK will return to Potsdam and will take place from 20 to 22 October 2026 at the Kongresshotel Potsdam.
We extend our sincere thanks to all partners, sponsors, speakers, and participants for an exceptionally successful Geothermal Congress 2025!
