Bjelovar, Croatia (source: flickr/ János Korom Dr., creative commons)The geothermal heating plant in Bjelovar is envisioned to be the first geothermal district heating project in Croatia. Bjelovar Mayor Dario Hrebak says that Bjelovar has good potential for geothermal, citing data collected from 60 years of oil and gas exploration. The only geothermal power plant in the country – the 16.5 MW Velika Ciglena – also falls within the territory of Bjelovar.
Drilling work will start in November and is expected to be completed by the early spring of 2024. Five to six more wells are planned for drilling as part of the project.
“We expect to find water at a depth of up to 1,500 metres with a temperature of 70-80 degrees Celsius which we plan to use to heat the business zone Veliko Korenovo,” said Hrebak.
The current initiative to develop geothermal district heating was first reported in early 2022. At that time, the project was set to receive funding from the “Energy and Climate Change” programme of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU funds, funded by the Kingdom of Norway. An update was provided by the end of 2022, indicating that feasibility studies were underway for the planned district heating project.
“Our aim is for Bjelovar to become energy self-sufficient and independent in the next 10 years,” Hrebak concluded.
