A geothermal heating project in the city of Kosice in Slovakia will be receiving EUR 56.2 million the European Commission’s Just Transition Fund. The project aims for an installed thermal output of 30 MWt by July 2028, thus covering about a quarter of the total energy supply of the Kosice heating plant.
The contract for implementation of the “Utilization of geothermal energy in the Kosice Basin” project was signed by the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization (MIRRI) of the Slovak Republic with implementing partners GEOTERM KOSICE and MH Teplarensky holding.
The project is expected to start by January 2025 and will have a duration of 43 months. GEOTERM KOSICE will start the drilling of 3 new geothermal wells to add to the three existing wells in the Svinica-Durkov geothermal center. Miroslav Kavul’a, CEO OF MH Teplarensky, stated that the project has been designed so that additional centers can be built alongside it in subsequent stages.
EU funding for the geothermal project had already been announced in late 2023, with the categorization of the project as a “national priority project.” However, this latest development officially sets the framework for project implementation.
This investment will help not just in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but will also support job creation and the development of the local economy. In addition, the prices geothermal heating will be more stable for end consumers compared to heat from combustion of gas or coal.
Michal Kalinak, State Secretary of MIRRI SR, emphasized the importance of the geothermal project in positioning Slovakia in the geothermal industry of the EU. The official states that having a geothermal project puts Slovakia in a stronger position to apply for new EU funding, as the country seeks to have higher geothermal utilization than what it currently has.
I am pleased that in times when the debate about rising energy prices continues, we are bringing this concrete and strategic solution. I believe that the geothermal project in Kosice will also be an inspiration for other regions of Slovakia, because our country has a huge, but still insufficiently exploited, potential in this area,” said Kalinak.
