Deployment Desk Meeting in Košice

Deployment Desk Meeting organized in Košice

The Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (CVTI SR) organized its first stakeholder meeting in Košice on January 27, 2025, within the framework of the Danube GeoHeCo project, with the participation of 14 representatives of Slovak universities, institutions and companies who expressed interest in the researched issue of shallow geothermal energy.

The event was held at the premises of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Technical University of Košice (TUKE). The meeting enabled the connection between the project participant (CVTI SR), the associated project partner (TUKE, Faculty of Civil Engineering), other actors from the academic sphere (TUKE, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies) and local/regional stakeholders (Košice Self-Governing Region, Prešov Self-Governing Region, Energy Agency Smart Region of Prešov Self-Governing Region) and the private sector. The event also provided an opportunity to present best practices and experiences in the field of geothermal energy to each other, as well as to obtain valuable information from the researched area in the Košice and Prešov region.

Photo by CVTI SR

The event program included an introduction to the project Danube GeoHeCo, its goals and activities, and the establishment of a Deployment Desk for stakeholder engagement. An overview of the current situation and legislation in the field of geothermal energy, challenges and opportunities in the use of geothermal energy in the Slovak Republic, was also presented. A discussion followed, which provided the meeting participants with an important insight into the researched issue of geothermal energy in the Košice and Prešov region.

The meeting created the basis for future cooperation within the framework of other activities of the Interreg Danube GeoHeCo project. The associated partner of the project the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Technical University of Košice will participate in testing an IT tool to support decision-making through the preparation of investments aimed at exploiting shallow geothermal potential.

At the end of the event, an excursion to EcoPoint in Košice followed, which is one of the greenest administrative buildings in Slovakia, uses renewable energy sources and generates a minimum of CO₂ during its operation. It is an ecological and sustainable building with a healthy working environment and low operating costs. The materials used, new technologies and a 70% reduction in heating and cooling costs ensured that this building had almost 30% lower operating costs compared to classic modern construction.

The entire building is based on drilled reinforced concrete piles with heads. Energy wells are also located between the pile heads, serving to supply the building with energy. The building is cooled and heated by a radiant cooling and heating system using heat pumps and an active concrete core.