Geothermal well to heat aquapark in Slovakia
Kosice, Slovakia (source: flickr/ Ben Bawden, creative commons)
Carlo Cariaga
4 Aug 2021
A geothermal well will be drilled in the Košice region in Slovakia over the next six months and will be used for a future aquapark development.
The Kosice self-governing region (Košický samosprávny kraj, KSK) has started work on a geothermal well to be drilled near the Cizatice (Kosice-okolie) district. Fluids from the geothermal well will be used for a future aquapark, although other uses are also being considered. The drilling work will last approximately six months.
The drilled well is planned to go to a depth of about 2.3 kilometers. Along with drilling, hydrological tests and geophysical works will also be done. This means that by early 2022, information such as flow, temperature, chemical composition, and groundwater reserves should be available.
A Slovak-Hungarian consortium companies was chosen as the contractor for the project through public procurement at a contract price of 1.9 million Euros. The project is funded by the regional budget, the allocation of which was approved two years ago. The Technical University of Kosice (TUKE) is also on hand to perform geological work.
New opportunities for the region
In addition to the jobs provided by the project, the Kosice region is looking forward to opportunities for development and tourism. According to regional MP Viktor Dulina, “The Kosice-okolie district is one of the least developed districts. The unemployment rate in the municipalities around the planned well is more than 20%.”
“A geothermal well will bring new job opportunities, particularly in the field of construction and tourism.” Dulina added. People have been waiting for geothermal development in the region for 20 years according to regional MP Martin Smrc.
“The Kosice basin has unique geothermal resources, which have not yet been used. It is therefore good news that the process of implementing a geothermal well near Cižatice has started over the years.” said Stanislav Jacko from the Institute of Geosciences, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Management and Geotechnology TUKE. “The Kosice region has a chance to become a leader in the use of green energy, such as geothermal water below the surface.”
In 2009, there were development plans for a 3.5 MW geothermal power plant in Kosice and there have been long term plans for the development of a geothermal district heating system in the city.
Source: Korzár Kosice
