Their importance is currently growing, particularly in connection with the need for decarbonisation and energy supply security through the use of primarily domestic resources. On this occasion, we asked Senator Ondřej Štěrba, a member of the Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Transport, for an interview.
Mr Senator, you have been following the geothermal project for a long time, also in your capacity as a member of the Litoměřice City Council. Is today’s visit to the RINGEN research infrastructure site your first?
Yes, it is my first time here, and I must say that I was impressed not only by the entire complex itself, including the building and its facilities, but above all by how far the project has progressed. I am interested in its potential use not only for the citizens of Litoměřice and this region, but also in the fact that the research is beginning to move into a practically applicable phase. In my view, it is entirely realistic that within a few years we will see concrete outcomes leading to this energy being usable for households in Litoměřice as well.
The project has undergone a long period of preparation. The significance of its direction has also been highlighted by the energy crisis and geopolitical instability, which once again demonstrated how important it is to secure domestic energy sources. Does the geothermal project therefore have your support?
Absolutely, it does. As you rightly mentioned, sometimes it turns out that every cloud has a silver lining. Crises around the world, whether resulting from armed conflicts or restricted access to various raw materials and energy sources, create pressure to seek and develop solutions more quickly that can improve the current situation. At the same time, it is important for research to have a specific practical application. I believe that after all these years, we are now approaching the desired goal: gaining the knowledge of how to use this energy and how to work properly with geothermal resources and geothermal energy, not only in the context of district heating, but also cooling.
Today you heard the key information about the current state of the project. As a senator representing the region, do you see any specific way in which you could help support its further development? One important step, for example, is the reintegration of the RINGEN scientific research infrastructure in Litoměřice, where the SYNERGYS project is being implemented, into the Czech Republic’s Roadmap of Large Research Infrastructures. Inclusion in this roadmap would open up further opportunities for cooperation with similar European research infrastructures and support the further development of science and research not only in the Ústí nad Labem Region.
I certainly see this as a specific task with which I would be very glad to help. This will involve precisely the renewed effort to have the project included again in the roadmap you mentioned, as well as linking it to the Jan Amos Komenský Operational Programme. At the same time, it is important that the relevant ministries focus their attention on this matter, as they will be responsible for resolving the entire process, whether that be the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports or the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Since I serve on the Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Transport, this naturally aligns with my long-term interest in energy issues. For that reason as well, I want to support the project and do everything I can for it within the scope of my professional role in the Senate.
However, you did not come to today’s visit alone. You were also accompanied by Member of Parliament Jan Richter, who, given his mandate within the Ústí nad Labem Region, may also play an important role in supporting the project.
Certainly. I do not want to speak on Mr Richter’s behalf, but I have known him for a long time, and I know that when he makes a promise, he keeps it. The project clearly captured his interest. It was evident that he too wants to help support it from his position, for example through contacts at the Ministry of Industry and Trade or the Ministry of the Environment. Moreover, if we join forces with the leadership of the municipal administration, with the mayor and others, then this project and its specific future outcome clearly have the green light. It is something of great value, not only from a research perspective, but already from the point of view of practical implementation.
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