September 4, 2025
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Croatia identifies another city with geothermal potential for district heating

The testing of an exploratory well near the Croatian city of Osijek has confirmed the area’s geothermal potential, according to the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency.

This marks the second successful completion of exploratory activities within a broader project aimed at developing geothermal potential for district heating in Croatia. At the end of June, good news came from an exploration site in Velika Gorica.

The exploratory activities in Osijek have cost an estimated EUR 8 million, with the funding secured from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

Testing and measurements of the Osijek GT-1 (OsGT-1) well revealed a reservoir temperature exceeding 100 degrees Celsius, with an estimated thermal capacity of nearly 5 MW.

Temperatures are lower than in Velika Gorica

These results confirm that Osijek possesses significant geothermal resources with potential applications in district heating, agriculture, and the area’s economic development, according to the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency.

“Geothermal energy is one of the most stable renewable energy sources, and our research confirmed the substantial potential of reservoirs in the Pannonian Basin and a strategic opportunity for achieving long-term supply security and decarbonization of the energy system,” stressed Marijan Krpan, president of the agency’s management board.

Exploratory activities continue in other locations

Due to local geological specifics and the shallower depth of the reservoir, temperatures in Osijek are lower than those in Velika Gorica. The agency noted that although the geological conditions and reservoir depths differ between Velika Gorica and Osijek, geothermal energy is flexible enough to be adapted to local needs and used efficiently and sustainably.

According to Osijek’s mayor, Ivan Radić, geothermal energy is becoming a locally available and sustainable heating source not only for Osijek residents but also for businesses.

Following Osijek and Velika Gorica, exploratory activities will continue in Vinkovci, and later in Zaprešić. After completing all exploratory activities, additional wells are planned at sites with confirmed geothermal potential.

In addition to the state-funded activities, private companies such as ENNA Geo are also engaged in geothermal research.

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July 30, 2025
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Slovenia awards first concession for geothermal exploration

The Government of Slovenia has awarded a concession for geothermal exploration in the municipality of Lendava to Verde Energy. Slovenia doesn’t yet use geothermal energy for electricity production.

It is the first concession awarded for geothermal energy, marking an important step toward decarbonizing the Pomurje region, according to the Government of Slovenia.

Lendava is also the site of an innovative project for the use of geothermal energy in Slovenia. It is being implemented by Slovenian companies Dravske Elektrarne Maribor (DEM), Petrol, and Nafta Lendava.

The government said the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy has received an initiative from Verde Energy to start the process of approving a concession for geothermal exploration. The procedure is based on the Law on the Introduction of Devices for the Production of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources, adopted in 2023.

The concession includes three phases

The initiative relates to an area in the municipality of Lendava, the government said. It determined, after a thorough review, that it met all legal requirements.

The concession for geothermal exploration involves a comprehensive exploration of geothermal potential and the development of technology for producing electricity from renewable sources.

The project consists of several phases. The first is the exploration of geothermal energy potential, which includes geophysical surveys and the drilling and testing of geothermal wells.

The concession was awarded without a tender

Next is the preparatory phase, involving the creation of a spatial implementation plan, obtaining necessary permits, drilling wells, and constructing a geothermal power plant. The third phase is for an electricity production study.

According to local media, the concession was granted without a tender, which is allowed by law.

Verde Energy, registered in Ljubljana, is owned by Turkish company Soyak Yenilenebilir Enerji, part of the Soyak Holding group, Lendava Info reported.

In neighboring Croatia, Soyak is planning to build an 80 MW geothermal power plant. It would be the largest in the country. Soyak has established seven project firms in the country.

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July 1, 2025
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Croatia confirms major geothermal resource for district heating

The Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency’s exploratory activities at a preliminary exploration site in Velika Gorica have confirmed significant geothermal potential. The output from this single geothermal well could meet nearly 60% of the thermal energy needs of the city’s district heating system, the agency said.

The recorded reservoir temperature exceeds 100 degrees Celsius, and the well’s capacity meets the projected targets in full, the agency stated. The exploratory activities in Velika Gorica are part of a wider project to develop geothermal potential for district heating in Croatia, covering six cities.

To fully realize the geothermal system’s potential for district heating in Velika Gorica, a second well is planned. This would create a so-called production-injection pair, allowing for the continuous and safe use of this natural resource, the agency said.

A second well is planned in Velika Gorica to fully utilize the geothermal potential

In addition to its application in district heating, the geothermal potential in the Velika Gorica area also holds promise for agricultural production, it added.

“This is one of the first concrete steps in the use of geothermal energy for heating in continental Croatia. The project is financed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), and the works were carried out by CROSCO, a member of the INA Group,” the agency said.

The project to explore the geothermal potential in six cities – Vinkovci, Vukovar, Osijek, Sisak, Zaprešić, and Velika Gorica – was launched earlier this year, with a total budget of EUR 50 million. The agency plans to complete the project and determine the geothermal energy potential for all six cities by June next year.

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April 13, 2025
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Turkey discovers its hottest geothermal well to date

Turkey’s Sanko Holding has discovered the country’s hottest geothermal well with access to a geothermal source, with temperatures reaching 308 degrees Celsius, according to an announcement from JESDER, the Turkish association of geothermal power plant developers.

“After a difficult and determined search, we learned with great pride that the hottest geothermal production well […] in Turkey, which reached 308°C, has been successfully discovered,” reads a Facebook post by JESDER.

Describing the discovery as a landmark achievement highlighting a strategic position of geothermal energy among renewable energy sources, the association congratulated everyone involved on what it called a giant step for Turkey’s energy future.

The well is a giant step for Turkey’s energy future

A geothermal resource reaching 341 degrees Celsius, at a depth of 3,845 meters, had previously been discovered in Turkey, but it never reached the production stage, according to media reports. Geothermal resources are considered suitable for investment if their temperatures range between 140 and 370 degrees, the Yeni Akit news website writes.

The temperatures in geothermal sources that can generate electricity vary between 103 and 295 degrees. The ones below are usually utilized for thermal spa tourism or heating, the Turkish media outlet added.

Turkey ranks fourth in the world in geothermal power capacity

Turkey’s geothermal power capacity is equivalent to that of the European Union and Iceland combined, making it fourth in the world in the field. It reached 1.73 GW in 2024, or about 1.5% of its overall power capacity, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Abdullah Tancan revealed.

According to JESDER, geothermal power plants accounted for 3.2% of electricity output in Turkey last year, providing 11.2 TWh out of a total of 350 TWh.

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April 2, 2025
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Germany looks into underground heat storage to decarbonize heating

Germany is increasingly looking into geothermal energy storage as a way of decarbonizing its heating sector. The technology allows storing heated water in underground caverns and using it for warming homes and public and private buildings during winter, according to a report by Clean Energy Wire.

This thermal energy storage system, called Geotes, promises “the almost universal availability of cheap and practically inexhaustible storage capacities,” according to Peter Ruschhaupt from the think tank Future Cleantech Architects (FCA), German business daily Handelsblatt reported.

The process involves heating water and injecting it into underground caverns, where heat can be retained for months by the surrounding rock. The warm water can then be pumped back to the surface and used for district heating.

Heat can be retained underground for months

The cost of drilling is the main challenge in ensuring that the process is economically viable, but once the caverns are ready, the technology can be very cost effective, as heat can be stored for an entire season, according to Ruschhaupt.

Such systems already exist in northern Europe

One such research project is currently underway in former coal mines in Germany’s Ruhr valley, the daily wrote. In the Netherlands and Scandinavia, “there are already thousands of Geotes systems,” said Ruschhaupt.

According to the German geothermal association, geothermal energy could cover 40% of the country’s heating needs, Clean Energy Wire wrote, noting that Germany is seeking to phase out fossil-run heating boilers and requiring cities to prepare municipal heat plans by mid-2028 at the latest.

In Serbia, the district heating company in Novi Sad is developing a thermal energy storage project, as part of an innovative hybrid system that would combine solar collectors, seasonal thermal storage, and heat pumps. The investment is aimed at decarbonizing the Serbian city’s district heating and helping balance the power system.

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