Geothermal Power to Secure Budapest Airport’s Energy Supply

The operator wants to put the energy supply of Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport on solid footing, and one way to do this is to supply the country’s largest airport with geothermal energy, said the State Secretary for Energy on Wednesday. The work has already begun on drilling the first geothermal well to provide the airport with renewable and sustainable energy.

Attila Steiner said that if this investment is realized, the airport’s heat supply can be provided entirely locally with the help of geothermal energy, which is a very safe and inexpensive solution. Another advantage is that geothermal energy is competitive and does not depend on any global market prices, such as gas. The state secretary emphasized that this investment will therefore contribute to strengthening Hungary’s energy sovereignty.

Geothermal energy is a local solution, therefore the government is working to ensure that there are as many such investments as possible in the country and that locally produced geothermal energy can be used to reduce Hungary’s exposure to natural gas.

László Nagy, president of the the Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH), said that one of the authority’s primary goals with regard to geothermal energy is to promote the widest possible, safe and lawful use of this sustainable domestic resource. To this end, they support licensing processes, supervise legal operations, and actively work to promote geothermal energy in Hungary’s energy supply. He added that the agency’s involvement has fundamentally changed the regulatory system governing geothermal energy research and licensing. All of this is in line with Hungary’s goal of becoming as self-sufficient as possible in terms of energy supply.

Francois Berisot, CEO of Budapest Airport, told MTI that

this investment is very important to them, because based on their decarbonization plan, they are striving to achieve carbon neutrality before 2030. This current development is a big step towards getting rid of fossil fuels.

They are confident that if this project meets their expectations, they will be able to replace the natural gas currently used for heating with geothermal energy, the CEO explained.

According to a statement issued by the SZTFH, Budapest Airport has begun drilling the first geothermal well. The investment is being carried out under a new licensing environment established by the SZTFH, with which the airport, now owned by the Hungarian state, is taking a significant step towards sustainable, energy- and cost-efficient operation. They announced that the drilling will be carried out by the Hungarian state-owned company Rotaqua Kft., which has more than 35 years of experience in drilling water and geothermal wells. Arctic Green Terv Kft. is responsible for the technical management of the development of the geothermal heat supply system.

Based on the National Geothermal Energy Utilization Concept adopted by the government last year, the widespread use of geothermal energy could replace up to one billion cubic meters of natural gas by 2035, significantly strengthening the country’s energy sovereignty, reads the authority’s announcement.

Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd