Country Update of the Slovak Republic

Geothermal energy sources belong to the second place when ranking renewable energy sources included in the Energetic conception of the Slovak government. They are represented by geothermal waters bound mainly to Triassic carbonates and sands, sandstones and conglomerates of Neogene age, less often to neovolcanic rocks. Geothermal wells are located mostly in the intra-mountainous depressions or in lowlands bordering the Slovak territory in its southern part. Geothermal waters were proven by 159 geothermal wells with the depth of 9 m to 3 616 m. The temperature on the well head ranges from 18 to 129 °C, yields reach up to 70 l/s. Water is mostly of Na-HCO3-Cl, Ca-Mg-HCO3 and NaCl chemical type with the TDS value of 0.4 – 90.0 g/l. The total amount of thermal energy potential of geothermal waters in prospective areas represents 6653 MWt. Geothermal waters are widely used for recreational purposes, mostly in very popular aquaparks in many places of Slovakia. Space heating, greenhouses and fish farming belong to other ways of geothermal energy utilization.