A comparison of the two largest geothermal enterprises in Poland as of January 2026 reveals differences between the leader in terms of infrastructure scale (Podhale) and the efficiency leader in the municipal mix (Stargard).
Statistical comparison (as of 2026)
Key differences
- Scale and range (Podhale): Geotermia Podhalańska is the undisputed leader in terms of pipeline length (over 120 km) and energy sales volume. It services the most dispersed terrain, connecting several municipalities (Szaflary, Biały Dunajec, Poronin, Zakopane).
- Efficiency and dominance (Stargard): Although it sells less heat in absolute numbers, Geotermia Stargard has a greater impact on the local heating system. Thanks to the high efficiency of a single intake and cooperation with heat pumps, it covers as much as 62% of the needs of a city of 70,000, which is the best result in Poland for an agglomeration of this size.
- Character of consumers: Podhale is a "hybrid" system – a large part of the energy goes to hotels, guesthouses, and thermal pools (e.g., Termy Bania, Termy Chochołowskie). Stargard focuses almost exclusively on heating municipal residential estates, industry, offices, and institutions.
- Technological development: In 2026, Podhale has a chance to strengthen its position thanks to the deepest borehole (Bańska PGP-4), which has waters with a temperature of 120°C, enabling electricity production. Stargard is betting on expansion with further injection wells to maintain record efficiency without pressure drops in the reservoir.
Podhale: Unique Basin and High Temperature
Podhale is considered a geological phenomenon on a European scale.
- Structure: It is a so-called artesian basin (Podhale Basin). Water is under enormous natural pressure here, which often causes it to flow to the surface spontaneously (artesian flow) after drilling into the reservoir.
- Water quality: What distinguishes Podhale is relatively low mineralization (water is chemically "cleaner"). Thanks to this, equipment (heat exchangers, pipes) does not corrode so quickly and does not get overgrown with mineral scale.
- Temperature: Thanks to deep tectonic processes in the Tatras, water in Podhale achieves the highest temperatures in Poland (record 120°C in the new well in Szaflary).
Stargard: Power of the Polish Lowlands and the Brine Challenge
Stargard lies within the Polish Lowlands, which is a huge reservoir of thermal waters, but with completely different characteristics than the mountains.
- Sandstone resources: Water in Stargard (and generally in the Lowlands) accumulates in porous Lower Jurassic sandstones. This allows obtaining huge capacity (even 350 m³/h), which is harder to achieve in the hard rocks of Podhale.
- High salinity: The biggest difference is chemical composition. Water in Stargard is very strong brine. It is extremely corrosively aggressive, which requires using specialized technologies (e.g., plastic pipes or titanium heat exchangers) and mandatory reinjection of water back into the reservoir after heat extraction.
- Location: Stargard utilizes the geological stability of the Western European Platform. Although water is cooler here than in Podhale (approx. 80-90°C), its huge quantity allows heating a large part of the city.
Summary of differences (as of 2026)
Podhale therefore wins on temperature and water cleanliness, while Stargard dominates with incredible efficiency, which despite the difficult chemical composition of the water, allows powering as much as 62% of the municipal water supply network.