This renewable and inexhaustible energy is produced 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without relying on the sun or wind, and harnesses underground heat at temperatures above 150°C.
The regional government has already signed two of the five permits for the project, named Cibeles, which covers the municipalities of Madrid, Alcobendas, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Colmenar Viejo, Tres Cantos, and San Agustín del Guadalix. In this way, it is backing a constant energy source that ensures stability for the electricity grid.
With these authorizations, granted to Technology Metals Europe, the Spanish subsidiary of the Australian company Energy Transition Minerals, the technical and economic feasibility of deep underground deposits in the Madrid region will be assessed. These could provide strategic, economic, and environmental benefits to the region.
Until now, high-enthalpy geothermal exploration in Spain had been limited to the Canary Islands, where active volcanism explains the high underground temperatures. With these permits, the Madrid Region becomes the first mainland region to take this step, doing so in a different geological context—without volcanoes, but with a deep basin where heat accumulates due to the thickness of sediments and the presence of radiogenic elements in the granitic basement.
Safety and environmental protection
The permit has been granted in accordance with mining legislation, ensuring compliance with requirements on safety, environmental protection, and land-use planning. Research work will be subject to the necessary controls and authorizations at each phase, ensuring that the activity is compatible with the natural and urban values of the surrounding area.
With this initiative, the Community of Madrid strengthens its commitment to industry, innovation, and the responsible use of natural resources, promoting research activity and geological knowledge as a basis for future decisions in this field. If the research confirms the viability of the resource, the region will be able to meet its growing energy needs with a clean and constant source, while also opening the door for other sedimentary basins.