The education of experts in the field of geology is crucial in the era of energy transition as a global challenge. The goal of the Zagreb student branch of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPGZG) is to connect young talents with scientists and researchers and encourage companies, small entrepreneurs and large corporations to exploit the potential of geothermal energy in Croatia and the world. Geology is a dynamic profession that continuously adapts to the challenges of the modern world and represents the jobs of the future.

That is why AAPGZG is preparing a Conference on Geothermal Energy which will be held on March 7-9 this year in the premises of the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum of the University of Zagreb (Pierottijeva Street 6, Zagreb). The three-day expert meeting is mainly intended for students, but also for everyone who is interested in the field of geothermal energy. The first day of the conference (Thursday, March 7) will be mostly dedicated to lectures by domestic and foreign experts and panel discussions, while the second day of the conference (Friday, March 8) will include lectures, panel discussions and student presentations, while the third day ( Saturday, March 9) to hold a professional excursion. Of course, it will be possible to follow the Conference online. The deadline for submissions is March 1 this year.

“Geothermal energy is a renewable source that is being talked about more and more because it represents a significant contribution to achieving the goals of the transition strategy towards a low-carbon economy. The reason for this is the fact that the temperature gradient in the Pannonian part of Croatia is as much as 60% higher than the European average. potential is known thanks to the numerous wells that have been drilled for the purpose of exploration and exploitation of oil and gas, some of which have discovered hot water deposits.Therefore, Croatia has sufficient knowledge and human potential that can contribute to greater exploitation of geothermal energy data, it is estimated that Croatia could build geothermal power plants with a total power of up to 500 MW. The current active geothermal projects and the entry of new investors in recent tenders certainly inspire optimism that geothermal potential will be significantly more utilized in the near future. Geothermal energy could be used in cascade, if possible, first for the production of electricity in case of higher water temperatures, and then for heating and agriculture, returning with a lower temperature to the underground because it is a closed cycle of exploitation. Energy transition is not entirely possible without the application of mining-geological-petroleum knowledge and expertise,” emphasizes Prof. Vladislav Brkić, Dean of RGN and President of the Croatian Association for Geothermal Energy (HUGE).