Zagreb has been aware of its rich sources of geothermal energy for more than four decades, ever since they discovered hot water beneath the surface of the city. Although they currently use only a small part of the capacity of these sources, they are planning significant changes. The Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum prepared the necessary documentation to enable the construction of new wells.

The Mladost pools, the athletics stadium, and the Faculty of Kinesiology already use geothermal energy for heating. They are planning to expand this system, and the Stjepan Radić student dormitory will be connected to it already in September, writes HRT.

The future children’s hospital in Blato also plans to use geothermal energy, and next year they plan to connect the system to the HEP Toplinarstva network. The main advantage of this form of energy is lower costs.

Professor Vladislav Brkić, dean of the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum, told HRT that they are currently using only five to ten percent of Zagreb’s geothermal potential, depending on the season.

“The potential is much greater. In a few years, four to five years, we could replace fossil energy sources for heating with these types of energy sources. The temperature of that water is more than sufficient for heating residential buildings,” says Brkić.

Zagreb citizens and visitors will also be delighted by the announcement of the construction of a thermal lake in Blato. The city has already secured 370,000 square meters of land for a thermal bath, near the hospital in Blato and the golf course. They are currently solving property and legal issues, and there are already interested investors.

The conceptual design of the project is finished, and Željko Jurilj, the concessionaire of the Zagreb geothermal field, announces that it will be the largest geothermal lake in Europe, open like a volcanic crater for swimming.

In addition to the swimming pool, they plan to build various spas and sports and recreational facilities.

Article transferred from bloombergadria.com