Working discussion on the use of geothermal energy and the transition to green energy, in Oradea, with the participation of the University of Bucharest

On January 28 and 29, 2025, lect. dr. Florina Țuluca, from the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of the University of Bucharest and director of the GeoAlliance project, lect. dr. Sanda Voinea and assoc. prof. dr. Adriana Bălan, from the Faculty of Physics of UB, took part in a working discussion on the use of geothermal energy and its role in the transition to green energy.

The event brought together in Oradea over 30 researchers and specialists in the field from Romania, Iceland and Poland and representatives of local authorities and the business environment.

Held within the GeoThermal Bridge Initiative – Oradea 2025, the meeting included both presentations of concrete examples of exploitation of geothermal resources in Iceland, Poland and Romania, as well as field visits.

The main purpose of the meeting was to present examples of good practices in the field of geothermal energy at the regional level and to identify opportunities for collaboration in research and innovation between the participants.

At the opening of the event, the project coordinator and expert within UEFISCDI, dr. Domnica Coteț, presented the perspectives of collaboration between specialists with concerns in the field of geothermal energy in Romania.

During the meeting, lect. dr. Sanda Voinea and assoc. prof. dr. Adriana Bălan, from the Faculty of Physics of UB, presented the collaboration projects between the University of Bucharest and Reykjavik University in Iceland for the development of master’s programs in renewable energy.

The program of the meeting also included a presentation of the Romanian projects regarding energy, delivered by Marian Bordeianu (Transgex, UBB) and lect. dr. eng. Florina Țuluca (The Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of UB). The presentations highlighted the most recent projects coordinated by the University of Bucharest, among which the current GeoAlliance project, co-financed by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants Romania 2014-2021, in the frame of the SME Growth Programme Romania.

Florina Țuluca presented the results of the GeoAlliance project and its initiative to capitalize on archival data in the field of geology and geophysics to reduce the risks associated with the exploitation of geothermal resources. The presentation included new tools such as thematic maps of heat flow and temperature at 3000 meters depth. These achievements will be made available to the public through scientific articles, to be published after the completion of the project.

“The event was an excellent opportunity to present the results of the GeoAlliance project to an audience of experts from countries with advanced experience in the exploitation of geothermal resources. Such meetings are important because they facilitate the transfer of technology and open opportunities for relevant collaborations, with a significant economic impact on future development projects in Romania. I especially appreciated the innovative ideas brought up by colleagues from Iceland, among which Sigurður Markússon, Thorsteinn Másson, Juliet Ann Newson, Magnús Barðdal, Sveinn Aðalsteinsson, Dominika Anna Janus, which presented various aspects regarding the use of geothermal energy in Iceland”, stated Florina Țuluca.

The complete program of the event is available here.

The project GeoThermal Bridge Initiative is financed by EEA & Norway Grants and is coordinated by the National Energy Authority of Iceland, being implemented in Romania by UEFISCDI, in partnership with GEORG and the GEOTHERMICA Initiative. The initiative aims to strengthen the collaboration between Iceland and Romania for the promotion and use of geothermal energy and to establish a framework for strategic collaboration between Iceland and Romania to address common challenges in the energy sector, including climate change, energy security and sustainable development.

The project “Driving Sustainable Urban Futures: A Romanian-Norwegian Innovation Geophysical Alliance for Green Transition and SMART City Development” is co-financed by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants Romania 2014-2021, in the frame of the SME Growth Programme Romania. Grant number:2024/395080. The project is a collaborative initiative between the University of Bucharest’s Faculty of Geology and Geophysics and Pre Stack Solutions – Geo AS (PSS-GEO AS) (www.pss-geo.com).