The Ministry of Mining and Energy has invited bids for compiling the Geothermal Atlas of the Republic of Serbia. Geothermal sources are an important form of renewable energy, identified as a strategic resource for the further development of the country’s energy sector, both for heat and electricity generation.
The development of geothermal resources is in line with the goals of the Green Agenda, the Energy Sector Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia up to 2040 with Projections up to 2050, and the Strategy for the Management of Mineral and Other Geological Resources of the Republic of Serbia for the period from 2025 to 2040, with projections until 2050, the ministry said.
The Geothermal Atlas will provide a comprehensive overview of the spatial, vertical, and horizontal distribution of geothermal resources, the current level of their utilization, and an assessment of their potential for the further development of heat and electricity generation projects, cogeneration, and other applications, according to tender documentation published on the Public Procurement Portal.
The Geothermal Atlas will provide a basis for planning the geological exploration of geothermal resources
It will provide data needed for planning geological exploration and sustainable management of geothermal resources, helping to prepare investment projects, improve energy efficiency, and reduce dependence on fossil energy sources, according to the documentation.
The Geothermal Atlas needs to be developed in line with the basic principles for the preparation of the Atlas of geothermal resources in Europe.
The research preceding the preparation of the Atlas needs to be conceptually and methodologically aligned with modern scientific methods applied in assessing geothermal potential.
Geothermal potential also refers to producing critical raw materials from geothermal resources
The term potential refers to the possibility of generating heat and electricity, including cogeneration, as well as producing critical mineral raw materials from geothermal resources, according to the documentation.
It is well known that lithium, a critical raw material, can be extracted from geothermal waters.
The Geothermal Atlas of the Republic of Serbia needs to cover the entire territory of Serbia, including the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, it is stated.
The deadline to submit bids is September 11.
In the region tracked by Balkan Green Energy News, Croatia has the most developed utilization of geothermal energy. Romania and Slovenia also have plans to use this type of renewable energy, as do cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Sarajevo and Bijeljina.
Technological advances are expanding the range of locations where geothermal energy can be used to generate electricity, making it an increasingly competitive alternative to fossil fuels.
