Croatia Signs Grant Agreement to Drill Four Geothermal Wells for Urban Heating Croatia has approved a major new investment to expand the use of geothermal energy for district heating in four cities. Velika Gorica, Osijek, Vinkovci, and ZapreÅ¡ić are set to receive an additional EUR 35.3 million for geothermal development, including the drilling of four new wells that could support urban heating systems by 2030. The funding marks the second phase of a broader geothermal program designed to convert Croatia’s underground heat resources into reliable, domestic energy for homes, public buildings, businesses, agriculture, and industry. Across the two phases, the total investment in the four locations is expected to reach approximately EUR 86 million. The project is significant because it moves Croatia’s geothermal strategy beyond exploration. The country is now preparing the infrastructure needed to create production-and-injection well pairs, establish closed geothermal systems, an...
Breaking Ground: Vulcan Energy's G-LEP Plant in Landau Paves the Way for Europe's Sustainable Lithium Revolution By: Robert Buluma In the heart of Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate region, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the laying of the foundation stone for the first optimized Geothermal and Lithium Extraction Plant (G-LEP) in Landau, spearheaded by Vulcan Energy Resources, an Australian-German company. As Petra Dick-Walther, State Secretary in the Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, and Mobility of Rhineland-Palatinate, described in her recent social media post, this project represents a "quantum leap into the future." It enables the simultaneous extraction of climate-neutral lithium and generation of renewable energy from the hot thermal beds of the Upper Rhine Graben, opening new avenues for Germany's energy transition, supply security, and Europe's sovereignty over critical resources. Lithium, a key component in batteries for electri...