Elena Lehovida, Engineer, Environment Fund Administration Iceland Geothermal Conference 2013 March 5-8, 2013, Harpa, Reykjavík

1. Geothermal Heat Plant Projects
in Romania and Hungary
Elena Lehovida, Engineer, Environment Fund Administration
Iceland Geothermal Conference 2013, March 6-7 Reykjavik
Session B4: Geothermal EEA Grant Programmes and cooperation within Europe

2. Who we are
EFA is a specialized institution of the central public
administration, it is responsible for charging and management
of the Environment Fund and it has legal personality, working
in coordination to the Ministry of Environment and Climate
Change.
What we do
EFA supports the funding of 22 national programmes
categories. The Environment Fund is a financially deductible
public fund and the revenues resulting from its activity are also
public.
Role within EEA Grants
EFA is the Programme Operator of RONDINE Programme
for Renewable Energy in Romanian with a total budget of 8
million € to support both hydro and geothermal development.
Environment Fund Administration (EFA)

3. Hungary
About 26% of total energy use in Hungary is used for heating
and cooling of buildings.
District Heating Systems (DHS) serve about 17% of the end
user demand for heating. In total DHS are 111.
Romania
The number of DHS in Romania have decreased from 308 in
1996 to 110 in 2011.
DHS serve about 24% of the end user demand for heating.
Hungary and Romania
DHS mainly use natural gas for heating. Therefore its price is
strongly depending on the actual market price of natural gas
which is mainly imported.
The aim of both programmes is to focus on replacing fossil fuel
use for existing DHS with Geothermal Heat Plant Projects
(GHPP).
Heat Demand and
District Heating Systems in Romania and Hungary

4. Is geothermal energy a viable option
to increase share of renewable energy
in heat use of Romania and Hungary?

5. The Pannonian Basin enclosed by
the Carpathian Mountains
Source: http://egec.info/publications/

6. Hungary
In Hungary bathing and swimming is the most common use of
geothermal energy or 59% and greenhouses take up 26% of used
geothermal energy whereas space heating shares only 13% of end use of
total around 9 PJ in 2010 from wells with an estimated max. capacity of
655 MWth.
Romania
In Romania space heating takes up 56% of geothermal energy use and
bathing and swimming 40% of total 1,2 PJ in 2010 from wells with an
estimated max. capacity of 179 MWth
Conclusion
Geothermal energy has been used in this region for house heating for
decades. Due to lack of maintenance and investments the production has
declined over recent decades.
With 2020 goals of increased share of renewables this trend can be
changed with the support of governments, EEA Grants and others.
Main uses today of geothermal
energy in Hungary and Romania
Source: http://www.geothermal-energy.org/

7. Resource Characteristics of Hungary
30-50 C
50-70 C
70-90 C
90 °C <
1
2
Main geothermal
reservoirs
fractured, karstified
basement rocks
multi-layered
sandstones, shales
depth >2500 m 800-2000 m
temperature >100 °C 50-80 °C
potential 110 PJ/a 60 PJ/a
Source: (Nador, HGGI, 2012)

8. LEGEND
Areas with geothermal
resources used for
heating (60-120C)
Geoisoterm (-3000m)
Deep drilled geothermal
wells for temperature
measuring
Areas with geothermal
resources that can be
used for heating (40-
120C)
Resource characteristics of Romania
The main resources are found in the Pannonian sandstone, interbedded with clays and
shales Senonian specific for the Olt Valley as well as resources in carbonate formations in
the basement of the Pannonian basin and of Malm-Aptian age in the Moesian Platform.
The resource pontential has been estimated to be 200 PJ for 20 years.
Western plain
South plains
Carpathian
region

9. Re-injection strategy to maintain a
sustainable yield for generations to come
• In accordance with the main
objectives of the EEA Grants
the project promoters are
stimulated to take care of
resource sustainability by
requiring them to reinject
fluids back into the same
geological formations.
• In all cases environmental
concerns need to be taken
fully into account in order
for projects to be granted
support.
• Throughout implementation
a resource management
plan will be fullfilled in
cooperation with the DPP.
Sandstone and other aquifers
• High qualification requirements are made to secure a
successful implementation of reinjection.
• The feasibility studies will require conceptual and
numerical modeling of the geothermal systems,
technical descriptions and capabilities of the team etc.
• Monitoring will be required.

10. Clear benefits from bilateral cooperation
• Through bilateral relations of the
Donor Programme Partner the
experience of Orkustofnun and
Iceland in creating a renewable
energy society will be openly
shared with Romania and
Hungary in stimulating the use of
geothermal sources for the
benefit of all.
• Donor partnership projects for
planning and implementing the
geothermal heat plant
investments will be well
received.

11. Hungary
• 7 mill. € budget for at
least 2 GHP projects
• 9100 MWh annual
production estimation
• 890 tones of estimated
CO2 savings per year
Geothermal Heat Plants (GHP) in Hungary

12. Romania
• 4 mill. € budget for at
least 1 GHP project
• 4400 MWh annual
production estimation
• 1300 tones of estimated
CO2 savings per year
Geothermal Heat Plants (GHP) in Romania

13. • Number of DHS are in place in both Hungary and Romania
with an identified heat demand during winter months.
• Geothermal resources can be found in sandstone layers in
the Pannonian basin and in fractured carstified rocks in both
Romania and Hungary
• The main aim of both programmes is to support GHPP where
existing DHS are in operation.
• Total allocation is 11 mill. € (7 in Hungary and 4 in Romania)
to GHPP. Depending on the project promoter related
investments can result in more than 20 mill. € supporting
geothermal development in the region.
• Bilateral cooperation has clear benefits in this area and is
looked positively towards.
• There are no further restrictions to eligibility of applicants
than as stipulated in related laws and regulations of
respective country and region.
Conclusion

14. Köszönöm Takk fyrir Mulţumesc
Elena Lehovida, Engineer, Environment Fund Administration