Transboundary geothermal energy resources of Slovenia, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia (TRANSENERGY)

Abstract

The Pannonian Basin has outstanding geothermal potential. Its hydrogeothermal resources are widely utilized by the countries of the Central Europe region. Due to the geographical-geological setting, much of these reservoirs are in transboundary regions, therefore exploitation might unfavorably impact the adjacent regions in the neighbouring countries. TRANSENERGY project aims to provide a “good example” case study, how a sustainable resource management system can be set up for transboundary thermal water aquifers, where both the protection of the resources and their enhanced utilization are considered taking into account sustainability criteria. There is a growing number of different types of utilization (balneology, direct-heat) in the region, and a rapid growth is forecasted in the coming years (especially related to CHP), so it essential to get a profound knowledge on the available resources and reserves, impacts of exploitation, and a better understanding of the interactions of the different utilization schemes in order to avoid potential conflicts and set up priorities, if necessary. The developed problem-oriented approach of TRANSENERGY focusing on the needs of decisionmakers might be applied in other regions in Europe, thus helping countries to reach their NREAP targets without threatening environmental targets and/or interests of their neighboring regions.