The geothermal wealth of the South Great Plain Region is significant at European level; its exploitation however is far below the possible level. The geothermal gradient in Hungary is on average 5oC/100m, which is one and a half times. The reason for this is that the Pannonian basin’s crust is thinner than the average – 24-26 km, thus the asthenosphere is closer to the surface.

The measured heat flux values are also high (the average of 38 measurement is 90.4 mW/ m2, while the average value on the European continent is 60 mW/ m2. The South Great Plain Region has the most favourable geothermal features in Hungary. This region is where both the quaternary and upper-pannonian water-bearing formations are the thickest, thus the South Great Plain can be considered as the most significant thermal water reservoir in Hungary.  In the target area there is an almost unlimited quantity of low temperature (so called low-enthalpy, <150°C) resources usable for heating, but there are also high temperature (so-called high-enthalpy, 150-250 °C) resources available, which could enable the utilisation for generating electricity for electric plants. Based on the geothermal resources, the R+D capacity of the utilizing companies, of the involved local governments and of the SZTE the target region could be the geothermal “silicon valley”. The expansion of geothermal energy utilization is a long-term national strategic interest. 

The Hungarian Thermal Water Cadaster (HKK) keeps count of more than 1200 thermal water wells, 60% of which can be found in the Great Plain. 36% of the productive wells serve baths, 27% drinking waterworks, 25% agricultural plants, 12% industrial and communal energetic needs. Geothermal energy consumption in Hungary is estimated to 1540 MW.

The majority of waters abstracted in the Great Plain is used for communal purposes, those of lower temperature are mainly used in baths and public waterworks. This is the oldest utilisation form, “tepid thermal water” being already abstracted at the start of the century, when deeper artesian wells were built. These so-called simple thermal waters differ only in their temperature from drinking waters, so there are used in the Great Plain not only in baths, but in public waterworks as well. The use of thermal waters as bath water and in case of favourable variants as medicinal water is well known.

There are many wells producing for energetic purposes as well, where geothermal energy brought to the surface by thermal water is mainly used by agriculture, population and industry. Water here acts as energy carrier agent, the placement of cooled down salt waters is the major problem for the use of thermal waters.

The biggest part of waters warmer than 50°C on the Great Plain are used for heating cultivations and stock-farms, the majority of the total 170 ha of glasshouses as well of more hectares of heated greenhouses can be found in this region. The centres of agricultural use of geothermal energy can be found in county Csongrád, mainly in the areas of Szentes and Szeged, but there are also smaller users in the region (e.g. Szarvas, Tiszakécske etc.). The agricultural agglomeration using thermal water in the lower Tisza valley uses the heat energy of 8-10 million m3 water with a temperature of  70 - 100 °C, occupying an eminent role world-wide. The industry also uses thermal water for heating of buildings and technological warm-water supply.

In several towns of the Southern Great Plain, thermal water is also used for communal remote heating of flats and public institutions. The heating of hospitals, flats and public institutions with geothermal energy from thermal water wells has been first used in the towns of Szentes, Szeged, Hódmezővásárhely, Makó, Csongrád, Szarvas and Tiszakécske. The building of remote heating systems has been built from the 1960s, significantly contributing to the air cleaning of the given towns.

In a small number of utilisation places (7-8%), some forms of use are combined. For example, high-temperature water is first used for air-heating, then by reducing its temperature for floor and ground heating, finally in baths. Such utilisation forms are used in the water supply of Hódmezővásárhely’s Geothermal Waterworks, Town Hospital and open bath, in Szentes’ Town Hospital, spa, Research Institute for Vegetable Growing (Zöldségtermesztési Kutató Intézet) and open bath. This multipurpose use form uses both water and its heat-energy, so it fully utilises the abstracted thermal water.

The positive effect of unique natural-energetic conditions in Europe are further strengthened by the fact that the target area is extensively explored from geological-geophysical point of view, and that it disposes of several actively unused, non-productive (so called dry) wells, the re-operation of which could result in significant saving of expenses in geothermal utilisation. However, a significant clash of interests has accumulated along the opposition of increased abstraction and environmental aspects, which has to be optimally synthesized in order for the thermal water wealth of the region to sustainable provide energy (and water). The possibilities for the necessary cooperation are given. 

Every potential geothermal utilization segment is present in the region:

• capacity expansion and touristic attraction demand of numerous new and expanding baths, spas, balneological treatment centres,
• demand for agricultural (e.g. greenhouse) utilisation,
• extensive, growing heating demand with heat-pump technology from public institutions and local governments,
• useable dry hydrocarbon wells,
• investment demand for potential thermal power plant,
• and a growing demand  from the side of micro regions, local governments, public institutions and entrepreneurs for planning and establishing a utilisation system, in which the utilisation directions mentioned above are complementing each other, combined and interlinked in a continuously cooling water system in favour of an effective and optimal local energy utilisation.

The R+D knowledge base supporting the effective, economical and environmental friendly utilisation of geothermal energy is present in the target area:

• on the one hand with department-specific research, planning and education in the Institutions of the regional knowledge centre, the University of Szeged (Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry, Department of Geology, Workgroup for Regional Development, Department of Physical Chemistry, Department of Optics and Quantum Electronics etc.), on the other hand in the South Great Plain Thermal Energy Cluster concerned in technological innovation, development related to geothermal utilisation. 
• Non-profit organization forms have already been established in the target area, which are able to integrate organizations, companies, local governments interested in geothermal utilisation, both on the user and the service side (Geothermal Innovation and Coordinating Foundation, Thermal Energy Association, Geothermal Association, South Great Plain Thermal Energy Cluster).