| Abstract |
The paper updates the status of geothermal energy development in Poland in 2015–2019 since the World Geothermal Congress 2015 (Kępińska, 2015). The country has low-temperature resources suitable for direct applications like space heating, balneotherapy, bathing and recreation as well as some other uses. In case of geothermal district heating six were operating in at the end of 2018. Their total installed geothermal capacity was ca. 74 MWth and geothermal heat sales / use 813 TJ. A growth of bathing and balneotherapy was continuing: at the end of 2018 there were fourteen recreation centres (including two launched in 2015-2019) and twelve health resorts using geothermal water and heat. In 2015 a large atlantic salmon farm using geothermal water was opened. Remaining minor geothermal uses comprised wood drying, heating up a football pitch, etc. (same as in previous years). These all applications represented in total at least 106 MWth and 1076 TJ of geothermal heat use at the end of 2018 (bulk for district heating). The development of shallow geothermal – ground source heat pumps (GSHP) was persisting. They reached at least 650 MWth and 3100 TJ in 2018. The progress of GSHPs was a part of the progress of the whole heat pumps‘ sector. In 2015–2019 fifteen new geothermal wells were drilled. They will serve mainly for district heating, some for bathing&swimming. Majority of those wells were funded by the public support program introduced in 2015/2016. In July 2019 next public program to support geothermal development was launched. In general, the reported years 2015-2019 in Poland were characterized by initiating more heating-oriented geothermal drillings and investments than in former 5-years’ period (mostly thanks to 2015/2016 public support scheme). However, the geothermal share in RES (and total energy) mix was still very small. Also on an European background, in 2018 the country was on 12th place as far as geothermal district heating is concerned. In the coming years one may expect such heating installations and other uses (mostly thanks to mentioned support programs) and, last but not least, thanks to growing interest and need to introduce more clean energy carriers into state energy system, specially in case of low-emission heating. The paper indicates also ongoing geothermal investments, projects in various stages of advancement, as well as provides several basic information which are usually given in the country reports prepared for WGCs. |