On May 13, 2024, a Hungarian delegation visit the first Slovenian pilot geothermal power plant, managed by Dravske Elektrarne Maribor and Petrol Geo, with project partners participation. The delegation included Hungary’s Minister of Energy Csaba Lantos, State Secretaries Dr. Gabor Czepek and Attila Steiner, the Hungarian Ambassador to Slovenia Andor David, and the Hungarian Consul General in Lendava Gertrud Kelemen. General Director of DEM, Mag. Damjan Seme, presented the operation of the pilot geothermal power plant and other strategic, implementation, and development-innovative projects of the company in the field of utilizing renewable energy sources for electricity production during the green transition.
The pilot geothermal power plant project is based on the use of a completely new method of electricity production using a geothermal gravity heat pipe (Slovenian patent SI 26426 A). The unique aspect of using a geothermal gravity heat pipe is in its closed circuit, requiring only one dry well for operation. An existing but non-productive well Pg-8 in the settlement of Čentiba in Lendava is being utilized.
Dravske Elektrarne Maribor, the largest producer of electricity from renewable sources within the HSE Group, began underground work at the end of 2022 to restore the non-productive Pg-8 well, well of three thousand meters deep, Aboveground work, including construction and electro-mechanical installations, started in April 2023.
Recently, we produced the first kWh of electricity; however, consistent operation in the future will require modifications to the turbine part of the equipment, as tests have shown that the power plant currently cannot operate continuously with the thermal output of the Pg-8 well. Future steps are therefore focused on finding solutions that will enable more consistent turbine operation under given conditions, as directed by the initial results of the pilot innovative project.
Mag. Damjan Seme, General Director of Dravske Elektrarne Maribor, said: “Despite some challenges we face with the pilot geothermal power plant project, I am proud that Dravske Elektrarne Maribor, together with partners, is pioneering the field of deep geothermal utilization. We have brought the project to the point where the first kilowatt-hours of electricity have been produced. I believe that by modifying the turbine equipment, we will achieve a state that allows for consistent operation and production, paving the way for future similar projects. I am pleased that our neighbors are also interested in the project, and today we exchanged views and opinions, opening the door to cooperation in the field of deep geothermal energy utilization for electricity production.”
Hungary has been among the top five countries in Europe in the direct utilization of geothermal energy for many years. Since the beginning of the last decade, the extraction of geothermal energy has increased more than fourfold, but we still see plenty of opportunities to enhance its utilization, building on our favourable conditions – emphasized Csaba Lantos. The Hungarian Minister of Energy explained, “In order to further progress, we have prepared the National Geothermal Strategy, which is currently being finalized. According to the guiding document, we plan to double energy usage by 2030. The new applications could replace 1-1.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas by 2035. The planned measures and developments could make geothermal energy a leading sector in the Hungarian green economy. We strive to follow the best international practices in energy investments planning, and the current visit to Slovenia is about mutually beneficial exchange of experiences.”