The REHEATEAST project is coming to an end – the region gains a new mapping application

After two and a half years of international cooperation (January 2024 – June 2026), the REHEATEAST project has come to an end. The project focused on reducing dependence on fossil fuels in district heating and cooling systems. Eleven partners from seven countries of the Danube Region – Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bulgaria – cooperated on the project. The project was supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021–2027 and financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

What we aimed to achieve

Throughout the project, we sought to bring the topic of district heating closer to you – our followers and the residents of the Košice Region – and to demonstrate that heating can also be more environmentally friendly. Our aim was to explain why it makes sense to replace fossil fuels with more suitable and cleaner energy sources, such as geothermal energy, solar energy, or waste heat.

Main output: Energy Mix Map of the Košice Region

The largest and most practical result of the project is a new interactive map available on the Geoportal of the Košice Self-Governing Region (www.geoportalksk.sk). It was developed by the Via Carpatia European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation in cooperation with the Košice Self-Governing Region and Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (UPJŠ).

The map brings together harmonised data in one place covering the following areas:

  • solar potential of the territory,
  • wind conditions,
  • geothermal potential,
  • suitability for different types of heat pumps,
  • availability of district heating,
  • location of central heat sources,
  • energy and environmental potential of buildings.

Each map layer also includes a simple description, making the application easy to understand even for users without specialist knowledge. The map does not replace project documentation or a professional energy assessment; however, it provides a valuable initial overview to support decisions on heating solutions or energy investments. When developing the map, we placed particular emphasis on making it understandable and practically useful for residents of the Košice Region.

The map can be useful, for example, for:

  • a homeowner considering the installation of a heat pump,
  • a municipality preparing an energy strategy,
  • an investor looking for a suitable location,
  • a professional working with spatial data.Other project outputs
    Methodologies and guidelines – we contributed to the preparation of materials supporting the reduction of energy consumption and the more effective use of renewable energy sources and waste heat.
    Policy recommendations – materials that can support local and regional authorities in making decisions about the future direction of the energy sector in the region.
    Stakeholder engagement – throughout the project, we cooperated with both the public and private sectors and connected key stakeholders in the field of energy.
    SlovakiaTech 2025 – we participated in the conference as co-organisers of the Raw Materials section.
    Summary

The REHEATEAST project did not remain limited to expert analyses – its result is a concrete, publicly accessible tool that connects high-quality data with the everyday needs of residents and local authorities. Thanks to the Košice Region Geoportal, information on the region’s energy potential is now available to everyone – in a clear, understandable and easily accessible format, all in one place.

We would like to thank all project partners and experts involved for their cooperation.