Plans to build a geothermal power plant in the Slatina 2 field were first announced in 2019, after Geo Power Zagocha was awarded exploration rights for the field. Further exploration work was done in 2022. The Enna group had also taken over the Babina Greda 1 geothermal project in Eastern Croatia in the same year.
Current drilling operations being executed by the CROSCO company is targeting a total depth of 5000 meters. The site lies within the Pannonian Basin, considered a geologically favorable region for geothermal resources. With this development, the Zagocha project becomes the geothermal project at the highest stage of development in the entire Republic of Croatia.
The power plant is planned to have a capacity of 20 MW using Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology. When fully realized, it will be the largest ORC power plant in the European Union. The project will require an investment of over EUR 140 million.
Geothermal development in Croatia has been exceptionally active in recent years. It has been stated that there are currently around 10 geothermal projects in different stages of development in Croatia. Since 2022, the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency (AZU) has held several tender rounds for geothermal exploration licenses.
