October the 11th, 2026 – Croatian geothermal energy potential is enormous, with wells currently being explored in four different areas.
Velika Gorica, Osijek, Vinkovci and Zaprešić could be heated with geothermal energy by as early as 2030, it was announced at the signing of the Grant Agreement “Investment in the Development of Geothermal Energy”, worth 35 million euros. Ana Blaskovic reports for Poslovni that geothermal energy should serve for heating households, schools, kindergartens and other public buildings, and a total of 86 million euros will be invested in the project in two phases.
Geothermal deposits have so far been confirmed by research in the mentioned four cities. The contract that represents the basis for the construction of additional wells was signed by Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar, Director of the Central Agency for Financing and Contracting Dragan Jelić and President of the Management Board of the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency Marijan Krpan.
Above-average potential
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković pointed out that Croatia has a significantly greater geothermal potential than is commonly thought. Geothermal energy, he said, will be very useful for heating, and the state is approaching it strategically in order to improve the conditions for the use of this energy source in the long term. “This is domestic, renewable and low-carbon energy,” Plenković emphasised, stressing that, unlike energy that depends on the sun or wind, it is available regardless of weather conditions and that geothermal equipment does not take up much space. In the first phase geothermal deposits have been confirmed, while in the second technical preconditions for their sustainable use will be created. For the construction of additional geothermal wells 30 million euros of non-repayable funds from the European Regional Development Fund have been secured. The total value of that project amounts to 35 million euros, while more than 50 million euros have already been secured through the NRRP for the exploration of geothermal potential.
Pannonian Basin
“Croatian geothermal potential is not the future; it’s a reality that the country still needs and must fully utilise. In the Croatian part of the Pannonian Basin the geothermal gradient is as much as 60 percent higher than the European average,” said Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar. The geothermal gradient denotes the increase in temperature in the Earth’s interior with increasing depth and is a key indicator for assessing the potential for exploiting geothermal energy.
In Zaprešić, geothermal energy should enable the heating of sports halls, schools, kindergartens, swimming pools, the municipal company and a new business zone. Vinkovci are planning a central heating system that would meet the needs of 1,700 households as well as the heating needs of schools and other public institutions. In Velika Gorica geothermal energy should cover more than 60 percent of the population, while Osijek has assessed the project as strategic for the city’s economy, agriculture and energy independence. According to Marijan Krpan, if everything goes according to plan, works should begin in 2028 and the project be operational in 2030.
