February 14, 2023 - Geothermal potential assessment is underway in the Vinkovci area in order to determine the actual state of the thermal water reservoirs for their use for heating.

"The town of Vinkovci has a heating system to which about 1,700 households are connected, and - if this research proves to be fruitful - we could turn to renewable energy sources. However, it is not only a question of heating but also industry, especially agriculture, which could benefit when it comes to greenhouse production," said the deputy mayor of Vinkovci, Josip Romić, on his Monday visit to the locality where the geothermal potential is being assessed, writes 24Sata.

According to the mayor, the benefits of using geothermal energy sources are multiple, from sustainable circular management of renewable energy sources to energy independence, all for the sake of long-term economic profitability.

"It is estimated that citizens' heating bills would be 50 percent lower by switching to heating from geothermal sources," said Romić.

Through the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan, the geothermal potential assessment project for use in heating is being implemented in six locations in Croatia.

In the area of Zaprešić, Velika Gorica, Sisak, and Osijek, the assessment has been completed; in Vinkovci, it is in progress, and the next one will take place in the area of Vukovar, said the director of the Geothermal Energy Sector of the Agency for Hydrocarbons, Martina Tuschl.

She explained how seismic recording is performed by observing the movement of the seismic wave from its source on the surface to the geological elements in the underground, from which it is reflected, and its return to the receiver, the geophone. By returning the wave to the surface, where the wireless geophones are located, a clear picture of what is under the ground is obtained.

The assessment is carried out by the Polish company Geofizika Torun.

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ZAGREB, 31 March 2022 - Economy Ministry State Secretary Nataša Mikuš Žigman said on Thursday that work was underway to draft a plan for the development of Croatia's geothermal potential.

Speaking at a government session, Mikuš Žigman said that in line with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Hydrocarbon Agency would be entrusted with implementing six geothermal energy projects, for which HRK 225 million (€30 million) is envisaged.

A total of €25 million is planned to be used from the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion for the use of geothermal energy for heating.

Mikuš Žigman said that the government supported all activities to increase the life span of the joint Croatian-Slovenian nuclear power plant Krško until 2040 and that it also supported the use of nuclear energy to help decarbonise the economy.

Excise taxes on natural gas and electricity are at the minimum level prescribed by the Council directive on the taxation of energy products and electricity and the Excise Tax Act prescribes exemptions for energy products and electricity for the industrial sector, she said.

Also, the excise tax on blue-dyed diesel for the agricultural sector has been set at zero, and the government has adopted a regulation lowering excise taxes on unleaded motor gasoline and diesel.

Politics: For more, check out our politics section.

September the 3rd, 2020 - Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has thrown a spanner in the works for many a previously planned investment, not everything has been forced to grind to a halt or be put back on the shelf and await better economic circumstances. New Croatian geothermal projects are on the horizon for Slavonia, Podravina and Medjimurje as numerous bids arrive.

As Novac writes on the 2nd of September, 2020, as many as nine bids were received for the exploration of geothermal waters in four exploration areas in the areas of ​​Slavonia, Podravina and Medjimurje, which were submitted by seven different bidders, the Hydrocarbons Agency reported on Wednesday.

The Hydrocarbons Agency announced tenders for four exploration areas in Croatia intended for the exploration of geothermal waters for energy purposes in early June, and the tender closed on Tuesday, September the 1st, 2020.

These are the research premises Ernestinovo, Lunjkovec-Kutnjak, Legrad-1 and Merhatovec, and the Tender Commission determined that nine bids from seven different bidders were received for the tender on this upcoming Croatian geothermal project.

''The next step is the evaluation of the received bids, but it's already clear that the tender, despite these challenging times, was a complete success because bids were received for all of the announced locations, and the applicants are reputable Croatian and foreign companies with experience in developing geothermal projects,'' read a statement from the aforementioned agency.

They announced that they will present all of the details about the potential investors and proposed projects after the Commission properly evaluates the received bids.

''Croatian geothermal projects have the potential to be the flagship of energy transition, given that the exploration will take place in areas for which geothermal potential has been determined on wells initially drilled for in the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas,'' concluded the Hydrocarbons Agency.

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