Polish city secures EUR 3.7m for geothermal exploration drilling
Gniezno, Poland (source: flickr/ János Korom, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
15 Aug 2021
The Polish city of Gniezno has secured PLN 17 million in government funding for exploration drilling for planned geothermal heating project.
The city of Gniezno in central-western Poland, about 50 kilometres east of Pozna?, has secured funding for exploration drilling for a planned geothermal project. The city obtained almost PLN 17 million (ca. USD 4.4 million) from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Poland. A trial borehole, to answer the question of what is the geothermal potential in Gniezno, will be built in uninhabited areas, most likely in 2022.
Gniezno was on the first position on the list
Earlier this week, the President of Gniezno, Tomasz Budasz, signed a contract for this subsidy. The event was attended by: Minister of Climate and Environment Micha? Kurtyka, Deputy Ministers of Climate and Environment Ireneusz Zyska and Piotr Dziadzio, President of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management Maciej Chorowski, vice-presidents of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, Dominik B?k and Artur Michalski, and representatives of local governments receiving funding. The participants of the ceremony emphasized that the benefits of geothermal investments, understood as a set of long-term activities, go beyond the immediate effects for beneficiaries and other local social groups, as they are of national importance.
Our city has obtained the highest number of points in Poland under the program “Providing access to thermal waters in Poland”, concerning the performance of geological works and works related to the exploration and recognition of thermal water deposits. The project in Gniezno is the result of earlier plans, initiated in 2004 by Przedsi?biorstwo Energetyki Cieplnej in Gniezno.
A trial well will be drilled in 2022 and 2023, most likely in uninhabited areas at ul. Gda?ska in Gniezno, will be over 2 km deep. Whether the water will have the right temperature and parameters to be used for energy purposes, it will probably be revealed in 2024.
At the end of the project, a hydrological study will be prepared. The assumption is that you should get water with a temperature of 75 degrees, a capacity of 200 cubic meters per hour and a mineralization of 60-120 grams per liter. The tender is scheduled for 2021. The ecological effect will depend on the potential temperature of the water from the borehole.
In August last year, at the request of PEC, a study of the geological conditions of obtaining geothermal water energy for thermal energy in Gniezno was prepared. GEOSILESIA took care of it.
In the vicinity of Gniezno, 16 holes were drilled with a depth of 1502 m (My?lcin) to 5904.2 m (Wrze?nia), 9 of which were located on the K?ecka structure and 2 on the Trzem?al structure. Due to the fact that these holes were made in terms of their location for oil and gas exploration and due to the fact that they were carried out in the years 1958-1972, the results of these drillings are not binding for the assessment of the geothermal potential for Gniezno can only be made on the basis of a specially drilled hole .
Hence, the city of Gniezno decided to start the task related to the construction of a geothermal research hole, the purpose of which is to search for and identify thermal water deposits in Gniezno. As part of the implementation of the task, geological works and works will be performed, preceded by the development of a geological works project, which must be approved by the marshal of the Wielkopolska voivodeship.
The Gniezno authorities make the decision as to whether to proceed with the implementation or the order of implementation of from obtaining external funds for their implementation. Now they have been received.
Thanks to the financial support from the National Fund’s own resources as part of the priority program “Providing access to thermal waters in Poland”, drillings will be made in Gniezno, Otwock, ?yrardów, Wo?omin and Piastów (Mazowieckie Voivodeship), W?growiec Commune (Greater Poland Voivodeship), Inowroclaw and Gasawa, (Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship), Lowicz (Lódzkie Voivodeship), Jasienica (?laskie Voivodeship), Smyków (?wietokrzyskie Voivodeship), Debno (Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship) as well as Olawa, Trzebnica and G?uszyca (Dolno?laskie Voivodeship).
Source: Gniezno Naszemiasto
