Poland’s Climate and Environment Ministry reported last Tuesday (24 October) that drilling of a geothermal well with a depth of 1,645 metres has started in Otwock, a city around 23 kilometres southeast of Warsaw.
“Today, we look at raw material and energy security from the point of view of using the local energy sources that we have. Such a local source is geothermal energy,” said Piotr Dziadzio, Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment, during a ceremony marking the start of geothermal drilling in Otwock last Tuesday.
In the case of Otwock, it is estimated that a geothermal heating plant in the city based on the thermal water flows would bring in around 4.21 megawatts (MW) of heat (if the thermal water is cooled to 20 degrees Celsius). However, more accurate data will be verified following the drilling of an exploratory well, geophysical tests and subsequently hydrogeological and laboratory tests, the ministry said in a press release.
The investment was supported by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. “The ‘making available thermal waters in Poland’ programme is addressed to those communes and local government units in our country where we are practically certain to obtain thermal water for heating purposes,” said Deputy Minister Piotr Dziadzio.
According to Poland’s Chief National Geologist, the possibility of receiving a 100 per cent subsidy completely removes the risk for local governments associated with drilling the first research well on an as yet undocumented thermal water deposit.
“At the request of various municipalities, within a year the State Geological Service issued over 240 opinions on the occurrence and the use of thermal waters. This shows not only how much interest there is, but also how our social awareness is growing that we should use natural and renewable energy sources,” he concluded.
Almost half of Poland’s area has “enormous geothermal potential” which has been confirmed by several years of geological research and analyses, the ministry said in the press release.
Pannonian Basin as a platform for geothermal leadership – interview with Arctic Green Energy’s COO, Eirikur Bragason
In April this year, a separate geothermal well drilling site was inaugurated in the Podhale region in southern Poland.
