Geothermal Energy

What Geothermal Energy does

IGCP636 "Geothermal Resources for Energy Transition" is an international research consortium operating under the UNESCO International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) and co-sponsored by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). The project was officially launched in 2019, succeeding a 2016-2019 predecessor project, and is led by Daniela Blessent of Universidad de Medellín with Linda Daniele of Universidad de Chile as co-leader. The consortium coordinates researchers from 16+ countries across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, working on both deep geothermal resources (1-5 km wells, including fractured and porous media heat transfer and fluid-rock interactions) and shallow geothermal systems (heat pumps, thermosiphons, ORC systems, groundwater cooling for urban heat island mitigation).

The consortium's output portfolio comprises four products: a Spanish-language educational animation series titled "Descubriendo la geotermia" (featuring characters Kutani, Cocai, and Andesita, produced with Universidad de Medellín), a Learn Geothermal Energy online learning platform, the GEOTHERoom webinar series with sessions from researchers in 14+ countries, and an open-access publications repository with papers in Geothermics, Energies, DYNA, and Journal of South American Earth Sciences. Dissemination occurs through rotating annual meetings (Slovenia 2022, Coimbra/Portugal 2023, Pisa/Italy 2024, El Salvador 2025, Canada 2026 planned), conference presentations at EGU, IAH, Geothermal Rising Conference, and LATAM Geothermal Congress, plus active social media presence on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter/X.

IGCP636 is not a commercial enterprise and does not generate revenue from product or service sales. It has no pricing structure, no funding rounds, no venture capital or private equity backing, and no publicly traded shares. Operating funding flows through the UNESCO IGCP framework and the participating academic institutions, including Universidad de Medellín, Universidad de Chile, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS, Canada), Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (Spain), and Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV, Italy). The consortium serves research institutions, governments pursuing energy transition pathways, and civil society through open-access educational outreach, with all outputs disseminated freely.

Name

Geothermal Energy

Legal name

IGCP636

Website

https://igcp636geothermal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IGCP636 is a UNESCO International Geoscience Programme research consortium coordinating geothermal energy research across 16+ countries. Led by Universidad de Medellín, it produces peer-reviewed publications, webinars, an e-learning platform, and a Spanish animation series for academic, government, and civil society audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geothermal Energy Research

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Geothermal Resource Exploration & Assessment (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry) (EUAMAEAA)

Keywords

• Geothermal energy research
• Geothermal education outreach
• Renewable geoscience research
• Ground-source heat systems
• International geoscience collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

Medellín

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. UNESCO IGCP Research Grant: Funded through the International Geoscience Programme of UNESCO, supporting international research coordination, student mobility, laboratory facilities sharing, and outreach activities for geothermal resource promotion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Geothermal Energy (IGCP636) is an international research consortium under UNESCO's International Geoscience Programme that conducts collaborative scientific research on deep and shallow geothermal resources and produces educational content on geothermal energy. Its primary deliverables include peer-reviewed publications, an animation cartoon series on geothermal energy, the "Learn Geothermal Energy" online learning platform, and the GEOTHERoom webinar series aimed at researchers, students, and the broader public.

Product overview

IGCP636 is an international research group under the International Geoscience Programme that promotes geothermal resources as clean, low-carbon, base-load renewable energy. The initiative offers a portfolio of educational products including the Animation Cartoon Series for outreach, the Learn Geothermal Energy platform for structured learning, GEOTHERoom Webinars for knowledge sharing, and a Publications Repository for disseminating research. The organization focuses on deep and shallow geothermal resources, promoting understanding through educational activities, research collaboration, and stakeholder engagement worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Geotheroom: Online webinar series focused on geothermal resources and energy transition topics, featuring presentations from researchers worldwide
• Kutani

Products and services

• Animation Cartoon Series on Geothermal Energy Open-access animated cartoon series explaining geothermal energy concepts, designed for students, educators, and general public audiences.
• Learn Geothermal Energy Online Platform Open-access online platform offering structured learning content on geothermal energy for students, educators, and self-learners.
• GEOTHERoom Webinar Series Recurring open-access webinar series hosted by the project, featuring presentations from geothermal researchers and practitioners for the international research and education community.
• Open-Access Publications Repository Repository of scientific publications produced through the project, made openly available to the geothermal research community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sustainable Development Goal #7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universidad de Medellín - Educación VirtualcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the production of the educational cartoon series 'Descubriendo la geotermia' in Spanish. The Educación Virtual department provided production support for animation videos featuring characters Kutani, Cocai, and Andesita explaining geothermal energy concepts.
• UNESCO IGCPcoreOthersThe project operates under the UNESCO International Geoscience Programme (IGCP), receiving institutional backing and framework support. UNESCO provides the platform for international research coordination and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals.
• IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUGS co-sponsors the IGCP636 project as part of the International Geoscience Programme, supporting global geological research coordination.
• European Geosciences Union (EGU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through conference presentations at EGU General Assembly, with research abstracts published in EGU proceedings.
• International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on groundwater and geothermal research through IAH World Groundwater Congress and CEG Conference series.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Geothermal Association (IGA): Global non-profit association promoting geothermal research, education, and policy. Like IGCP636, IGA operates internationally, disseminates research, and convenes stakeholders to advance geothermal adoption.
• European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC): European industry association promoting geothermal energy, conducting policy advocacy and research dissemination across EU member states. Comparable in mission to advance geothermal adoption through research and stakeholder engagement.
• UNU Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP): United Nations University training program in Iceland providing geothermal capacity building, research, and education for developing country professionals. Highly comparable in combining geothermal research, education, and international cooperation with UN backing.
• Geothermal Resources Council (GRC): International non-profit organization for geothermal professionals, hosting the annual Geothermal Rising Conference (which IGCP636 attends) and publishing technical research — directly overlapping with IGCP636's research and outreach mission.
• IEA Geothermal Energy Technology Collaboration Programme: Multilateral research collaboration under the IEA framework coordinating international geothermal RD&D. Closely comparable in being an international coordination body for geothermal research cooperation.

Broad incumbents

• International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): Intergovernmental organization supporting the global transition to renewable energy, including geothermal. Broader in scope (all renewables) and much larger in resources, but comparable in mission to advance renewable energy adoption through research and knowledge sharing.
• Sandia National Laboratories - Geothermal Research: U.S. national lab with major geothermal R&D programs in EGS, reservoir engineering, and drilling technology. Comparable in conducting deep geothermal research and supporting international collaboration through publications.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) - Geothermal: U.S. national laboratory conducting geothermal R&D across exploration, reservoir modeling, and power systems. Comparable in producing deep technical geothermal research and educational content, but at much greater scale and with proprietary technology.

Emerging players

• ThinkGeoenergy: Online news, research, and community platform for the global geothermal industry. Comparable as a geothermal knowledge-sharing and outreach platform, but operating as a media/community venture rather than research consortium.
• Cleanergy AB: Geothermal energy research and development organization working on renewable power and direct-use applications. Comparable in conducting applied geothermal R&D with a research-led, education-focused approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/geothermigcp636
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@igcp636-geothermalenergy3/playlists
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNESCOIGCP636
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unesco-igcp-636

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Geothermal Energy