Geothermal resource for heating confirmed at Velika Gorica, Croatia
Well discharge during testing of Velika Gorica geothermal well, Croatia (source: Video screenshot, AZU)
Carlo Cariaga
24 Jun 2025
Testing of the geothermal well at Velika Gorica, Croatia confirms that it will be sufficient to supply 60% of the demand of the local district heating network.
Drilling and testing of the exploration well at the Velika Gorica geothermal site in Croatia. The results were considered a success, with the exploration well alone able to supply almost 60% of the needs of the district heating system of Velika Gorica.
Drilling at Velika Gorica started in March 2025 within the framework of the project “Preparation and Research of Geothermal Potential in the Context of District Heating” and with funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). CROSCO was contracted by the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency to carry out all phases of well construction.
The recorded reservoir temperature based on well tests exceeds 100 °C, and the well capacity is fully in line with the planned project goals.
Aside from using the geothermal resource for district heating, it also has the potential to aid in agricultural production. To fully utilize the resource, the plan is now to drill an additional well, thus establishing a production and reinjection pair for a more sustainable geothermal production system.
Elsewhere in Croatia, preparation works for geothermal drilling have started at Osijek and Durdevac.
Source: Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency
