Croatia’s Geo Power Zagocha intends to build 20 MW geothermal power plant in the Slatina region, according to an application submitted to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy.

The plant will use Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system to produce electricity, which will be delivered to the distribution network of HEP ODS, Croatia’s state power grid operator, reads the application for determining the need for an environmental impact assessment.

The plant will be located in the Virovitičko-Podravska county, in the Čađavica municipality.

There are currently three geothermal wells (PS-2, PS-4 and PS-5) in the area where the power plant will be built.

The plant will use geothermal water from the existing well PS-5 and, possibly, a new well, which is planned around 900 meters to the east of the future geothermal power plant, Geo Power Zagocha said in the application.

Zagocha geotermal power plant could be Croatia’s second facility for using this renewable energy source

In July last year, the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency announced a public call to select the best bid for geothermal energy exploration in the area of the city of Slatina, as well as in the municipalities of Sopje, Čađavica, Crnac, and Nova Bukovica in the Virovitičko-Podravska county, for the purpose of issuing an extraction license.

The public call referred to the Slatina 1, Slatina 2, Slatina 3, and Slatina 4 license areas.

According to the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency’s website, the public call is now closed.

Balkan Green Energy News has asked the Agency about the outcome of the public call and received an answer that the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy has issued a license to Geo Power Zagocha for geothermal energy exploration in the Slatina 2 license area and to EES Dravacel Energetika for Slatina 3 license area.

Zagocha geotermal power plant could be Croatia’s second such facility, after the 17.5 MW Velika Ciglena geothermal power plant was put into operation at the end of 2018.