Brief introduction of the Hungarian Geothermal Association

 

The Hungarian Geothermal Association (HGA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation formed in 1995, with the main aims of technical representation of the association's members engaged in mining and multipurpose use of domestic geothermal energy, supporting and promoting the research, development and use in relation with geothermal energy.

 

The members of HGA are partly natural persons including experts or dealing with planning and implementation of domestic geothermal energy, partly legal entities, individual businesses or joint ventures, municipalities carrying out thermal water based energy utilization. Currently (December, 2011) we have 108 members, 31 of which are corporations and institutes, operating 76 energetically utilised thermal wells, which is 70% of the recorded holdings.

 

In Hungary ca. 2500 people work in thermal water utilisation sector. However, according to an evaluation done recently the energetic utilisation of thermal water provides livelihood for several ten thousand people, including renters, pensioners and workers in the service infrastructure. Annual income of the HGA member companies is 60-80 M €, from which 40-48 M € is directly related to thermal water utilisation.

 

Geothermal Newsletter (FöldhÅ‘ Hírlevél): HGA's newsletter is published from January 2004, mainly for the members. Once or twice a year a technical forum is organized, where lectures are held upon the legal, technological and economical assets of thermal water utilization. The ones present at the 2nd Forum held in Szentes, October 2004 gave their approval on the 'Commitment' of the association on the state of geothermal energy utilization, which was the basis of the negotiations with the Ministry of Environment and Water in 2005-2006.

 

Since its foundation HGA is an associate member of the International Geothermal Association (IGA). As an appreciated member it was granted the right to hold the upcoming European Geothermal Conference in Hungary in 2003.

 

Budapest, December 2011

Gábor Szita
chairman