With this development, drilling is now expected to be carried out from December 2025 to February 2026. By September, preparation of the identified drill site near the Novi Drovi landfill will begin.
The town will receive funding of about EUR 10.5 million for the project through the measure, “Promoting energy efficiency, district heating and renewable energy sources for the decarbonization of the energy sector” as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). Through this program, the AZU has been allocated a total funding of EUR 50 million for testing and confirming geothermal potential, with the goal of increasing the share of geothermal energy in the district heating sector.
In 2024, the AZU signed a contract with CROSCO for the design, procurement of materials and construction of exploratory geothermal wells on a turnkey basis for four locations – Velika Gorica, Zaprešic, Osijek, and Vinkovci. Based on positve findings from geological and geophysical evaluations, the decision was made to drill one exploration well for each of these sites.
A high temperature resource had already been confirmed in Velika Gorica just a few months ago. Meanwhile, drilling of the exploration well in Osijek is already underway according to an update by the AZU in early July. Access roads and well pad preparation is ongoing at Vinkovci.
(Think GeoEnergy, August 22, 2025)