Drilling of an exploratory geothermal well commences in Croatia

ENNA Geo, through its project company Geo Power Babina Greda, is developing a geothermal power plant project to generate electricity in Babina Greda with an installed capacity of 15 MWe. Drilling of an exploratory geothermal well has begun at the geothermal water field in Babina Greda. Over the next 110 days, the plan is to drill the well to a depth of 3850 m and conduct production testing, with an expected geothermal water flow of 110 l/s at a temperature of 170°C. The investment in this exploratory well amounts to €11 million. In Babina Greda, plans include drilling an additional three wells and constructing the geothermal power plant, with a total planned investment of €100 million.

Ivana Meašic, Director of ENNA Geo, responded: “The drilling process is highly complex and costly. The risks are significant, and very few investors are willing and capable of carrying out such projects.”

Representatives from Vukovar-Srijem County, where ENNA is funding the project, wished the company success in confirming the reservoir’s potential, while State Secretary, Vedran Špehar, described renewable energy projects like this as an imperative for Croatia, particularly in recent years. Josip Krnic, Mayor of Babina Greda, noted that the municipality has been dreaming of this investment for 30 years, and it is finally becoming a reality.

According to current findings, Babina Greda has two geothermal water reservoirs, offering potential for commercial electricity production and utilisation of the remaining thermal energy for industrial facilities and greenhouse cultivation of fruits and vegetables.

Geothermal power plants provide the greatest benefits to local communities of all renewable energy sources, creating new jobs while investors are required to return a portion of their revenues to the municipality, county, and the state. They occupy very little land; for example, a geothermal power plant requires 10 times less space than a solar power plant of the same installed capacity. At the same time, geothermal plants do not pollute the environment or generate waste that needs disposal.

Moreover, they offer numerous advantages for the stability of the electricity system as they produce energy almost continuously (day and night), are not dependent on weather conditions (sun, wind), and are highly flexible, capable of adjusting electricity output from 100% down to 30% of capacity, helping to balance the power grid.

The ENNA Group has recognised the significant potential for investment in geothermal energy projects in Croatia. In addition to the Geo Power Babina Greda project, ENNA is developing the Geo Power Zagocha geothermal power plant near Slatina.

Through investments in the Zagocha and Babina Greda geothermal projects, the ENNA Group is positioning itself as a leader in renewable energy in Croatia. These projects not only contribute to the green transition and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but also have strategic importance, enabling domestic production of electricity from a constantly available, indigenous resource.

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