GTK Policy Brief: Geosciences Provide a Solid Foundation for the Energy Transition

The shift in energy production infrastructure towards clean energy requires action across multiple sectors. Geological research is playing a critical role in the transition by enabling the use of geothermal energy, identifying new sources of clean and sustainable fuel such as natural hydrogen, and ensuring required infrastructure such as new power plants, underground energy storage, and safe nuclear waste disposal sites are built on solid foundations.

With its decades of experience, Finland is a leader in the field when it comes to utilising the sub-surface to support the energy industry. Geological understanding plays a key role in the optimisation of resource use and leveraging of the underground for various purposes.

GTK’s activities support the energy transition by focusing on:

• Geothermal energy and gas exploration
• Underground energy storage
• The siting and safety of nuclear power plants and radioactive waste disposal
• Energy infrastructure planning and development
• The availability and circular economy of critical raw materials (see individual Policy Briefs)

A key challenge is acquiring detailed knowledge of the sub-surface, often to depths of kilometres. From the shallow surface layers to deeper bedrock, properties such as fracturing, groundwater flow and temperature variation can be complex and difficult to interpret. Finland’s ancient and heterogenous bedrock makes investigations even more complex.

The activities mentioned above rely on continuous development of our understanding of sub-surface properties through the study of geological formations, rock types, sediments and groundwater, and involve building multidisciplinary conceptual models of the sub-surface that can be used to assess the feasibility of new energy infrastructure projects or optimise existing structures.