Slovenia- GeoZs

Geological Survey of Slovenia

Public research institute with 90 employees and established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in 1947. Scientists, researchers, technicians and project managers, among them 64% with high education, contribute to production of geological maps, assessment of natural and anthropogenic geological hazards to living environments, expertise in fields of groundwater, mineral resources, geothermal energy resources and natural geological heritage. All activities are supported by the Geological information Centre, responsible for collection, processing, storage and dissemination of geological data within the frame of a single information system. 

GeoZS  performs geological supervision and prepares plan documents for different government agencies. It creates maps on national, regional and local-municipality level (geological, hydrogeological, geothermal, landslide, debris and rockfall susceptibility) for the purpose of strategic and spatial planning, as well as manages databases of geothermal energy use, of wells and boreholes and of groundwater protection area. GeoZS is involved in the process of preparation and evaluation of national spatial plans and municipal spatial plans regarding the groundwater resources and geothermal energy resources.

GeoZS prepares recommendations for diminishing administrative barriers for geothermal energy exploration and use, write guidelines for fostering the use of best available technology and good practice in the Slovenian geothermal sector, provide national statistics on the potential and actual utilisation of geothermal energy, and elaborate geothermal temperature and geothermal potential maps for the whole area of Slovenia and in larger scale.

Lead person:
M.Sc. Andrej Lapanje- involved in geothermal energy research since 2000.