Petar Dikov: Geothermal Heating Project for Sofia Has Remained Unused for Years.
A completed project to use Sofia’s geothermal waters for heating major public buildings has remained unimplemented for more than a decade. According to Petar Dikov, the plans have been neglected despite available resources and detailed feasibility studies.
Years ago, Sofia’s former chief architect, Petar Dikov, developed a project for utilizing the capital’s geothermal waters to heat large buildings. The project focuses on the Lozenets geothermal field, for which Sofia Municipality has been granted free exploitation rights by the state.
The plan envisages direct energy supply from the Lozenets site to key municipal facilities. According to Dikov, calculations made 13 years ago showed that implementation would cost approximately BGN 10–11 million, including the construction of a new borehole. He stated that there is sufficient geothermal capacity available for heating purposes.
Thirteen years ago, while serving as Sofia’s chief architect, Dikov prepared a comprehensive assessment for the utilization of underground water resources in the city. At the center of the geothermal field, located around the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, water temperatures reach 52–54 degrees Celsius. Experts at the time proposed using the thermal energy to supply the National Palace of Culture (NDK), where a dedicated but currently unused energy center facility already exists.
This was highlighted by Kostadin Shterev, who stated that beneath the capital there is a proven capacity of 500 megawatts of thermal energy.
Petar Dikov, Chairman of the Board of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria, revealed that completed projects for implementing alternative energy solutions have been gathering dust in municipal drawers for years due to institutional neglect.