site.btaSeven Suitable Regions in Bulgaria for Geothermal Resource Development

The presumed thermal resources in the regions of Pleven, Varna, Vratsa, Sofia, the Struma River Valley, Velingrad and along the Erma River make them suitable to boost the development of geothermal resources in Bulgaria for heating purposes, indicated an analysis by the World Bank (WB), which provides technical support to Bulgaria for the development of geothermal potential. The conclusions of the report were presented by Mariano Serrano, Senior Energy Specialist at the WB, during a public discussion on the topic at the Sofia Event Centre. The event was part of the Energy Summit programme and was jointly organized by the Ministry of Energy and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bulgaria.

Studies show that the confirmed geothermal sources in the seven regions have a constant temperature in the range of 70C to 110C, which makes them suitable for direct use for heating.

Along with the analysis of geothermal sources, the WB also studied the needs for heat energy on the territory of the country.

In this regard, the report has identified five regions with concentrated heat needs, which are Sofia, Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv and Haskovo, which account for 26% of the total heat consumption for the population and 28% of the needs of industry. And among them, Sofia is the region with the greatest heat needs.

The WB report has also identified the economic sectors for which geothermal energy is applicable. These include pig farming and poultry farms, as well as in the production of food and beverages.