Hungary?s Pilot Geothermal Power Plant "Generates" Unnecessary Scrutiny Concerning the Thermal Lake of H?v

Abstract

The implementation of Hungary?s first geothermal power plant was decided two years ago. The chosen site is a small village called Ikl?db?rdoce in southwestern Hungary. A deep karstic limestone aquifer will be tapped by a doublet. The depth of the aquifer is about 3200m and its temperature is 142 oC. The estimated volume of the combined fractures and voids is more than 8 million m3. The pilot power plant based on this doublet may produce 2Mwe. The planned power plant caused serious concern for the inhabitants of H?v?z, where a popular health and tourism economy, developed around the famous thermal lake, was thought to be in jeopardy. The lake has a supply from the transdanubian karstic aquifer, thus the intervention to the deep karst inspired fear in spite of the 50km distance between the power plant and the lake. Investigation from many aspects verified that the deep reservoir of Ikl?db?rdoce and the shallower aquifer supplying the Lake H?v?z does not negatively impact either underground flow system.