February the 11th, 2026 – More geothermal energy sources have been discovered in Croatia, more specifically in the continental part of the country close to Virovitica.
As Sinisa Malus/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, geothermal energy could become an extremely important Croatian energy asset in the coming years, with more and more sources being found in different areas of the country. Last year’s drilling in four different cities yielded some very encouraging results, and drilling has recently begun at yet another new location – Virovitica.
Exploratory work has officially begun to test the geothermal potential of the VirGT-1 well, which is the first step towards using energy from deep within the earth for the needs of district heating and sustainable development. The Virovitica GT-1 exploratory geothermal well (VirGT-1) is planned at a depth of approximately 1,300 metres, and the exploratory work itself currently examining the geological structures present there which may contain geothermal water deposits.
The project is being carried out at the “Virovitica 2” geothermal water exploration area, which includes the area of Virovitica itself, as well as the wider Municipality of Lukač. The works are being carried out by the company Crosco, and the research is being carried out by the Hydrocarbons Agency.
Currently, drilling is being carried out at a depth of about 600 metres, and the expected fluid temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees. The entire drilling and exploration process is expected to take about 45 days. Geothermal energy sources in Croatia are currently big news and offer plenty of promise for both national self-sufficiency and further profit.
Marijan Krpan, President of the Management Board of the Hydrocarbons Agency, emphasised that the project in Virovitica is being carried out as part of a broader cycle of exploration activities of geothermal potential for the needs of centralised heating.
“The Hydrocarbons Agency is a very strong promoter of geothermal energy, especially in the district heating sector. We managed to locate four exploration wells and all of them ended up proving successful. We discovered them in Gorica, Osijek, Vinkovci and Zaprešić, where eruptive quantities of hot water were all recorded. This is a 100% success rate, which we have reason to be proud of, and we hope that Virovitica will continue this positive streak,” said Krpan.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy Vedran Špehar emphasised that the significance of this project, as well as all similar initiatives, is primarily related to the implementation of the energy transition.
“The goal when it comes to heating systems is to replace fossil fuels with energy sources without a carbon footprint, thereby reducing the impact on the environment. At the same time, this ensures concrete benefits for the local community through sustainable and affordable heating. In addition to the aforementioned, the project is expected to open up space for the further development of entrepreneurial and agricultural activities. The best examples are greenhouse production, drying plants and similar activities,” explained Špehar, adding that an investment of around five million euros is planned for this phase of the project. Those funds have been secured from the state budget.
According to the Mayor of Virovitica, Ivica Kirin, geothermal water should be able to heat the Polytechnic in Virovitica, the Student Dormitory, a restaurant and café, a kindergarten and the third primary school that are currently under construction, the Viroexpo hall, the State Archives, the Technology and Innovation Centre, the Public Fire Department and other facilities. In the future, the construction of the Veterans Centre, a retirement home and the city swimming pools, which will also be heated with geothermal energy, are also planned in the same vein.
“After this well, we’re planning to build several more wells in the wider city area, and one of them should be realised in the Zapad (West) II megazone, which has been declared a property of strategic interest by a decision of the government,” Kirin concluded.
