Hungarian city taps geothermal energy for a greener future [Video]

Szeged, a city in southern Hungary, has launched the EU’s largest municipal geothermal heating system. The innovative project, worth nearly $80 million, replaces natural gas heating with clean energy, reducing emissions and offering a sustainable energy solution to thousands of residents and public buildings.

Drilling teams in Szeged have drilled wells more than 2,000 meters deep to access the Earth’s natural hot water reserves. “Geothermal energy in Hungary provides many benefits; we have a lot of potential here,” Tamas Ezsias, project manager at MedWater, tells CGTN.

The system includes 27 wells, 16 heating plants and 250 kilometers of pipes. Together, they deliver geothermal energy to more than 27,000 homes and 400 non-residential buildings across Szeged, serving about one-third of the city’s population of 165,000. 

Before this transition, Szeged relied on natural gas for district heating. 

“The district heating was based on fossil fuels, mainly natural gas from Russia,” says Tamas …