The Ministry of Climate and Environment announced at a press conference that over PLN 12 million had been awarded to the Municipality of Krakow for drilling a geothermal research bore in Przylasek Rusiecki.

According to preliminary information, the Municipality of Kraków will receive PLN 12,328,500 from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management for drilling a geothermal bore in Przylasek Rusiecki. Thanks to the research, it will be possible to assess the temperature, physicochemical composition and efficiency of the deposit, which will help determine the economic effectiveness of the project involving the use of this source of green energy for economic and recreational purposes. Their total cost is estimated at PLN 14,167,087, with the City’s own contribution of PLN 1,838,587.

The application documentation for the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management regarding a geothermal well in the area of Przylasek Rusiecki was prepared by Klimat-Energia-Gospodarka Wodna (Climate-Energy-Water Management), in cooperation with Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Energetyki Cieplnej SA (Municipal Thermal Energy Company) in Kraków, the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków and Kraków Nowa Huta Przyszłości SA (Krakow Nowa Huta District of the Future SA) The budget of this year’s edition of the geothermal research program of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management reaches PLN 350 million. 52 communes from all over Poland applied for funding. Locations were selected that offer the greatest chance of using geothermal deposits for energy purposes, including heating cities. Geological, environmental and logistic criteria allowed us to select Przylasek Rusiecki as the optimal place to obtain thermal waters for heating, recreational and balneotherapeutic purposes in Krakow. A research well will help determine which needs can be met in an effective manner.

Geothermal energy is a source of safe and inexhaustible thermal energy, which becomes extremely valuable during the global energy transformation. Therefore, the use of thermal waters is one of the key elements of the strategic project of the Kraków and the Małopolska Region “Kraków – Nowa Huta Przyszłości” (Kraków – Nowa Huta District of the Future). The implementation of this task will allow us to largely replace heating fuels with green energy and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, improving air quality in the region.

Geothermal energy is one of the elements of the planned activities of the already launched “Przylasek Rusiecki” – rest-and-recreation area with auxiliary services. The strategic project “Kraków – Nowa Huta Przyszłości” (Kraków – Nowa Huta District of the Future) also assumes the construction of the Science and Technology Park “Branice”, the Logistics and Industrial Center “Ruszcza” and the Center for Large-Scale Outdoor Cultural Events “Błonia 2.0”. All four components form a comprehensive revitalization program for Nowa Huta district implemented by Kraków Nowa Huta Przyszłości SA (Kraków Nowa Huta District of the Future).