Velika Ciglena, Croatia’s First Private Geothermal Power Plant, came to Life with Us.
MB Holding, which established Turkey’s first private geothermal power plant and converted domestic and renewable resources into electrical energy, broke new ground and implemented Croatia’s first geothermal power plant, the Velika Ciglena project, in Bjelovar in 2019.
The Velika Ciglena-1 Geothermal Power Plant is the first geothermal project in Croatia to transition from exploration to geothermal water and electricity production. The plant has an installed capacity of 16.5 MWe and generates 10 MWe of electricity.
When properly implemented, the re-injection method in facilities allows for uninterrupted production 24/7, 365 days a year. Geothermal water underground is formed by the dissolution of many minerals. Because this water contains carbon dioxide, a natural necessity, the water in the well can rise to the surface under its own pressure. This water, which is between 180 and 200 degrees Celsius, is produced by the vaporization of pentane, a petroleum-based gas that evaporates very quickly. This gas is then converted into a cooler liquid within the closed system by turbines, which then preserve it. Geothermal water extracted from the ground is reinjected back into the ground at a temperature of at least 75 degrees Celsius. Not even a small amount of liquid remains in the ground. No amount of water is removed and reinjected again after the process. The correct re-injection method is structured this way.
Because 100% re-injection is implemented, there is no environmental pollution, and the geothermal fluid is pumped back into the reservoir in a closed circuit, without being released into the atmosphere. When geothermal wells are brought into production, inhibitor systems and dosing units are used at the wellheads, completely preventing the geothermal fluid from causing corrosion and silica precipitation within the well. This successful project has served as an example for other companies investing in the sector.
The company, which implemented the first geothermal power plant in Türkiye, will continue to implement its projects in Croatia.
