Preparations begin for geothermal drilling for heating expansion in Podhale, Poland
Geothermal well at Zakopane, Poland (Source: Geotermia Podhalanska)
Carlo Cariaga
5 May 2025
Preparation has started for the drilling of the fourth production well of Geotermia Podhalanska in Podhale, Poland, seeking to expand district heating.
Preparation work has started for the drilling of the fourth production well of Geotermia Podhalanska in Podhale, Poland. The Banska PGP-7 production well will be drilled to a target depth of over 4000 meters and will allow for an increase in the Podhale geothermal heating plant.
The drilling site is currently being prepared for mobilization of the rig. Drilling is scheduled to start in June and end by September, after which a one-month testing period will take place. The new well is expected to add almost 15 MWt to the current approximately 80 MWt capacity of the heating project that supplies Zakopane.
Drilling of Banska PGP-7 had been approved back in 2023, and preparations were already underway before the end of October. However, the operations were slightly delayed because of the drilling of an adjacent well, which was drilled to a depth of about 6100 meters.
Work is already ongoing on the supporting infrastructure, such as the heat exchangers and distribution pipelines. Work on the fan coolers will also begin soon.
Investment on the expansion of geothermal heating in Podhale is estimated to be about PLN 88 million (approx. USD 23.4 million). The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management has approved financial support of over PLN 52 million (approx. USD 11.9 million) for the proejct.
Source: Krakow.tvp.pl
