Croatia Hosts Significant International Conference on Geothermal Energy GIFC 2025 for the First Time

In early March, Zagreb will host the Geothermal Investment Forum Croatia 2025 (GIFC2025), the first international conference fully dedicated to geothermal energy in Croatia. The conference will take place on March 3 and 4, 2025, at the Sheraton Zagreb Hotel, bringing together leading experts, government representatives, industry, financial institutions, and the academic community from Croatia, Europe, and the world.

In a time of geopolitical upheaval, strengthening Europe’s energy sovereignty and sustainability has become a key priority. Geothermal energy is a renewable, stable, and carbon-neutral energy source, estimated to meet up to a quarter of heating and cooling needs in Europe and up to 10 percent of electricity needs, with the European Green Deal recognizing geothermal energy as crucial for achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Its importance has increasingly been highlighted in recent years, as evidenced by the European Parliament document on EU policies on geothermal energy from 2023, which considers geothermal energy essential for the decarbonization of the heating and cooling sector. At the end of 2023, the Report on Geothermal Energy was also adopted, aimed at guiding future legislative initiatives of the European Commission and providing member states with a political framework for the development of geothermal energy. The necessity of developing geothermal energy today was confirmed by the Council of Ministers in December last year, which called on the European Commission to develop a comprehensive strategy for the decarbonization of heating and cooling, accompanied by a dedicated European action plan for geothermal energy with measures to facilitate the implementation of geothermal projects and accelerate the introduction of geothermal energy.

Croatia has the largest geothermal potential in Europe, 60 percent higher than the European average, which presents a challenge and responsibility to utilize this potential to provide its citizens with clean and stable energy. According to the National Energy and Climate Plan for the Republic of Croatia, the expected amount of electricity generated from geothermal potential by 2030 is 68 MW, which is one-fifth of the capacity of the Croatian part of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant at 348 MW, meeting about 16 percent of annual electricity needs in Croatia. However, with investments in geothermal energy, projections for 2050 amount to 405 MW, exceeding the capacity of the Croatian part of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, and with such development, Croatia could have more than 30 percent of its electricity supplied solely from geothermal and nuclear energy, not counting additional energy from solar, wind, and hydroelectric plants, which are also carbon-neutral.

– Croatia has a unique position in Europe, as such a high geothermal gradient combined with investments can position us as a geothermal leader at the European level, providing Croatian citizens with clean and stable energy. The fact is that geothermal energy is becoming an increasingly important part of the energy mix; Europe has recognized this, and Croatia, which lies on the largest potential, should utilize it in a timely manner – stated Dragutin Domitrović, chairman of the GIFC 2025 program committee, adding that significant financial investments are needed for the development of geothermal projects, which is why representatives from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank, and the European Investment Bank are among the conference participants.

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Dragutin Domitrović

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Panels and discussions at the conference will cover various topics, such as geothermal energy in the service of urban development in the context of increasing energy efficiency, with concrete examples of cities that have implemented geothermal systems for heating and cooling. The focus will also be on investment models and risk mitigation, highlighting examples of successful investment models and the application of geothermal energy in agriculture. Among the panelists are representatives from energy companies ENNA, SOYAK, SLB, and members of the European Parliament, led by Croatian MEP Davor Ivo Stier.

– We are not discovering hot water; we are literally sitting on it – Croatia is one of the leading geothermal potentials in Europe, which is not sufficiently discussed, and there is a clear need at the European and national level. The forum promotes Croatia’s geothermal potential for the first time, as it is now a unique opportunity for Croatia to strategically position itself and attract investments for the green energy transition – emphasized Mario Aunedi Medek, director of Alpheus Public Affairs, which organizes the conference in collaboration with the Croatian Chamber of Economy.

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Mario Aunedi Medek

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The expert program committee of the conference consists of representatives from the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar, the Croatian Chamber of Economy, the European Geothermal Energy Council, the Croatian Geothermal Energy Association, the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, and Dragutin Domitrović, energy expert and director of IgeoPen.

– The conference is a clear signal that Croatia is recognized as a key point for the development of geothermal energy in Europe. It is a driver of growth and a resource that can already provide stable and predictable energy today. For its full development, it is important to consistently integrate it into strategic plans and implementation policies. Clear and encouraging conditions for all renewable energy sources are crucial, and for geothermal energy, this is particularly important given the complexity of the projects – said Marija Šćulac, director of the Industry and Sustainable Development Sector of the Croatian Chamber of Economy.

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Marija Šćulac

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GIFC2025 is a project of the agency Alpheus Public Affairs in co-organization with the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK) in partnership with the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC), and the conference is also under the high patronage of the Ministry of Economy and the European Parliament (EP). The institutional sponsor is the Hydrocarbon Agency (AZU), which has developed a unique, interactive, and public platform for all exploration areas and exploitation fields of geothermal water, and they have also been awarded a non-repayable grant of 30 million euros from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for the exploration of geothermal sources near six Croatian cities. These cities are Vinkovci, Vukovar, Osijek, Sisak, Zaprešić, and Velika Gorica, which, in the case of positive research outcomes, would receive a geothermal source for heating households, municipal institutions, and companies.

Applications for GIFC 2025 are open, and more information about the program and participants is available on the official conference website.