| Abstract |
Hungary’s excellent geothermal potential is wellknown. Traditionally, the country’s geothermal energy production that focuses mainly on the direct heat was used for direct-heat supply, with most of the thermal water used in spas. As yet, there is no developed ground-source heat-pump market or operational geothermal power plant in Hungary. In 2011 595 active thermal water wells produced 68,5 million m3 of thermal water in Hungary representing 695,48 MWt / 10255TJ/y. The majority of the abstracted water was used for balneology (249 wells 36,8 million m3 265 MWt / 5285 TJ/year). In direct heat utilization the main sector was agriculture, where altogether 154 wells abstracted 9,34 million m3 of thermal water, representing an installed capacity of 241,84 MWt and an estimated use of 2800 TJ/y. Of this about 75% was used for heating of greenhouses and plastic tents, and the rest for animal husbandries (2011). As of 2011, geothermal energy contributed to the heating of 19 settlements. At an additional 16 locations individual buildings were heated by thermal water. This altogether used 6,76 million m3 of thermal water, which represent an estimated installed capacity of 132,97 MWt and use of 1350 TJ/y. The reported industrial use was relatively low (8,3 MWt / 170 TJ/y). In the “other” category (including public water supply – mainly for drinking water, sanitary water and some undefined utilization schemes) altogether 14, 1 million m3 abstracted thermal water represents an installed capacity of 47,37 MWt and an estimated use of 650 TJ/y. Between 2007 and 2011 altogether 15 deep geothermal projects were supported with grants of 19,48 million euros. There are many current projects being prepared. These focus on geothermal power plant, CHP, district heating and GSHP incentives. Ongoing and increasing financial support, as well as simplified, transparent and reliable legislative frameworks is needed to reach the 2020 NREAP targets, which aim at establishing power production and increasing direct heat by 350%. The newly introduced concessional system targeting exploitation of reservoirs below -2500 m aroused much interest: altogether 16 proposals are waiting for the announcement of the first bids in 2013. Hungary has traditionally had strong geothermal education, and in spite of the recession the courses are proceeding. The key environmental issue in the Hungarian geothermal sector is still re-injection. At the moment only a minor part of the produced thermal water is reinjected. |