The World Geothermal Congress 2026 (WGC2026) convenes every five years and is the single largest gathering of geothermal professionals globally. When WGC 2026 opens in Calgary on 8 June, it arrives at a moment of unusual strategic weight: geothermal energy has moved from niche resource to active policy priority in energy transition plans across Europe, North America, and Asia. The question is no longer whether geothermal belongs in the mix, it is whether the institutions shaping its deployment can move fast enough to meet the ambition.
At WGC 2026, GEORG Geothermal Research Cluster, now ORKIS Energy Cluster Iceland, will be present not only as active particiapnt but an organiser of multiple events.
Programme overview from GEORG – ORKIS in Calgary
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Symposium on Geothermal Storage (UTES)
Co-organised with IEA Geothermal, the symposium brings together leading experts on Geothermal Storage (Underground Thermal Energy Storage) — a strategic priority for heating and cooling decarbonisation across Europe and beyond .
June 7, 12:30 – 17:30 Glen Room 204, Telus Convention Centre, See agenda and register here -
Oral presentation in GEOTHERMICA Initiative
Advancing geothermal energy through strategic financing and policy frameworks: Insights from the GEOTHERMICA Initiative. Presenting the research impact of European and North American, public authority cooperation through GEOTHERMICA’s joint call mechanism and strategic cooperation, demonstrating what structured intergovernmental coordination can deliver for geothermal R&I and deployment.
June 8, 14:00, Track 11, Telus 103. -
Superhot Geothermal Workshop session with EPOS ON and KMT
Geoscience infrastructure and subsurface data integration, bringing European research infrastructure expertise to the WGC programme.
June 9, Macleod E3, 14:00-18:00. See agenda and register here - Oral presentation from the COMPASS and EPOS ON project
Embedding Social Alignment in Geothermal Innovation: Strategies from the COMPASS and EPOS-ON projects, contributing the project’s findings to the scientific record at WGC.
June 10, Telus Convention Centre - Strategic panel with GEOTHERMICA
Subsurface Sovereignty: The Global Shift Toward Geothermal Energy, coordinated public authority investment in geothermal R&I, presenting the initiative’s model and Joint Call results to an international audience.
June 10, 10:45, Maclead Hall. - Dialogue on International Cooperaation by GEOTHERMICA Initiative with Authorities
This special gathering brings together public authorities, policymakers, funding organisations, and international geothermal stakeholders to strengthen collaboration around geothermal innovation, deployment, and public sector engagement.
June 11, 12:15, Maclead E3. Agenda here
See more here
WGC 2026 is also the first major international congress attended by ORKIS, Energy Cluster Iceland, formed by the merger of GEORG, Orkuklasinn, and Íslenska NýOrka.
