Bjelovar opens the largest geothermal recreation park in Croatia
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The largest geothermal spa facility in Croatia has opened in Bjelovar, providing an economic and tourism boost empowered by geothermal energy.
The city of Bjelovar in Croatia has officially opened Wellovar, the largest geothermal spa in Croatia, coincident with the Day of the City of Bjelovar. Located just 45 minutes away from Zagreb, the spa facility is expected to provide a boost to the economy of the city.
Thermal water is supplied to Wellovar from the Koronevo GT-1 geothermal well, which was drilled to 1260 meters depth and tested from 2023 to 2024. Based on tests, the geothermal well can support thermal water supply at 83 °C and a flowrate of 30 L/s. A shallower well supplies 33 °C water from 500 meters depth.
Wellovar has 5 outdoor swimming pools and 5 indoor pools, one of which is an Olympic-certified pool for international competitions. It also has four saunas, a gym, sports and recreational facilities, and a restaurant. Mayor Dario Hrebak says that around 250,000 tourists and guests are expected in Wellovar annually.
Zvonimir Zarec, director of Terme Bjelovar Wellovar, said that one of the most distinguishing characteristics of the Wellovar spa facility is that it is self-sustainable and energy-independent. This means that all the energy needs for the facility comes from its own sources. Aside from the geothermal heat supply, it is equipped with a solar photovoltaic system. There is also a plan for a 500 kW battery system.
An investment of about EUR 42 million went into the Wellovar project. EU funding supported the project with EUR 17 million through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The rest of the project cost was provided by Terme Bjelovar through a loan agreement.
Source: HRT, Total Croatia News, and Grad Bjelovar via Facebook