Herrenknecht wins the European Geothermal Innovation Award 2026

The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) has announced that Herrenknecht AG has won the Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award 2026 for its Urban Vibro Truck, a seismic survey vehicle designed for urban environments. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to advancing geothermal energy in Europe and was presented in Offenburg, Germany, on 26 February during the GeoTHERM Congress & Expo.

The Urban Vibro Truck is purpose built for seismic surveys in towns and cities. It delivers significantly reduced noise emissions, enabling night surveys with minimal disruption to local residents, and it carries EU road approval as a tractor, which can streamline permitting requirements for seismic work.

Daniel Jaskulski, Division Manager New Applications at Herrenknecht AG, said the award demonstrates the practical value of the Urban Vibro Truck and its ability to accelerate high quality surveys. The company aims to have 10 Urban Vibro Trucks on the market by the end of 2026.

EGEC President Miklos Antics noted that the Ruggero Bertani European Geothermal Innovation Award recognizes outstanding contributions in products, scientific research or project initiatives. The jury, comprising eight members, reviewed 16 applications and selected five finalists.

The Urban Vibro Truck originated as a scientific test vehicle with early support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action; additional units are now in production. The prototype completed its first seismic survey and was benchmarked against an established market device, producing comparable data. Following that campaign, optimizations were identified and improvements have enhanced seismic data quality.

EGEC congratulates Herrenknecht AG on this innovation and expects the Urban Vibro Truck to contribute to increased uptake and deployment of geothermal solutions in urban areas.

Finalists for EGIA 2026 were:

• Deutsche Erdwärme GmbH, Advanced Injection Testing and Stimulation (Graben-Neudorf, Germany)
• Hephae Energy Technology, Beyond the Thermal Limit: Ultra-High Temperature Measurement-While-Drilling for Next-Generation Geothermal (UK)
• Herrenknecht AG, Urban Vibro Truck (Germany)
• OLI Systems, Geothermal Asset Integrity Modelling: Integrated Corrosion and Scaling Prediction Software (OLI Platform v12.5) (UK)
• QHeat, Unlocking Scalable Geothermal in Crystalline Rock Through Cost-Efficient and Collaborative Drilling (Finland)

This year the EGIA attracted a high level of entries from companies wishing to share their innovative products, technologies and solutions with Europe’s geothermal community.