Pilot Investment begins in Martjanci Kindergarten: Towards greener heating with geothermal energy

Photo by LEAP

On 7 July 2025, project partner LEA Pomurje officially launched the pilot investment at the kindergarten in Martjanci, Slovenia, as part of the Danube GeoHeCo project. This pilot marks a significant step forward in sustainable buildings heating, aiming to replace the fossil fuel heating with a hybrid shallow geothermal energy solution.

The investment started with the drilling of the first geothermal borehole, reaching a depth of 100 meters—a major milestone in transitioning the 1975-built kindergarten (238 m²) to cleaner energy. The project involves the installation of a hybrid heating system that combines:

Two 100-meter-deep vertical geothermal probes
A geothermal heat pump
Retention of the existing heating oil furnace for backup and peak loads

This modern configuration ensures energy efficiency, flexibility, and allows for detailed performance monitoring under various conditions.

During the first week of construction:

The site was prepared;
The first borehole was successfully drilled;
Geological conditions were assessed and drilling parameters were monitored.

Photo by LEAP

As of 14 July 2025, work on the second borehole is underway. The preparatory work for installing the geothermal heat pump will began in next weeks, including mechanical and electrical routing and system integration.

This hybrid geothermal system will not only serve the heating needs of the kindergarten more sustainably, but also support the testing of the Danube GeoHeCo IT planning tool. Data and insights from this pilot site will contribute to broader project activities and cross-regional knowledge exchange.

Stay tuned for more updates, photos from the site, and behind-the-scenes insights as the Martjanci pilot progresses!