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Debrecen Sports Swimming Pool


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Benchmark

Sport facility type

  • Indoor swimming pools

Is the facility part of the sports complex?

No


Description

The Debrecen Sports Swimming Pool has been the emblematic center of the city and the region's aquatic sports life since 2006. The facility serves both international and domestic elite sports and competitions, water polo youth and public swimmers, while also hosting swimming training camps and various sports programs. The complex can accommodate more than 1,200 people, making it ideal for organizing prestigious sports events. The backbone of the Sports Swimming Pool is a 50-meter, 10-lane competition pool, one of the special features of which is the movable partition, thanks to which the pool can be used in a 25 or 33-meter configuration, making it suitable for short-course competitions, water polo matches and mixed programs. The competition pool is complemented by a 25-meter training pool, a teaching pool, as well as a jacuzzi, a plunge pool and a Finnish sauna. The swimming pool also has an outdoor thermal pool, which helps regeneration after training and competitions.


Size

  • Indoor Space: 10,757 m²
  • Outdoor Space: 0 m²

Other relevant information about the sports facility


Sustainability pillars of the innovation'

  • Energy

Subcategories

  • Specific Technologies: Solutions such as waste heat recovery, thermal or electrical energy storage, and more.

Innovation description

The Debrecen Sports Swimming Pool is heated partially by the Komondor supercomputer, installed in the local university. The heat produced by the supercomputer is transferred to the pool, and this ensures the heating of the pool area. This was an investment with a quick payback, and the pilot year was successfully concluded.

The waste heat continuously generated during the operation of the supercomputer located on the property next to the swimming pool is transferred to the swimming pool’s mechanical room via a heat exchanger and a pair of pipes, where it is utilized by the building’s heating system through the installation of a heat pump.


Innovation Type

Technical innovation


Approximate cost of investment in innovation (in €, excluding VAT)

292531.25 EUR (115 Million HUF (net))


Aid or subsidy to encourage the implementation of the innovation

The investment consisted of two financial sources: Debrecen Sport Centre own resources and financial support from Municipality of Debrecen.


Years for the return on investment (ROI)

Based on current parameters, the payback period is expected to be 8 years. (The payback period depends on the unit price of the district heating purchased; in other words, the figure is quite different when the price was 56 HUF/GJ at the time of the investment compared to the current price of 9,033 HUF/GJ.) Until waste heat is available, it is a long-term investment.


Pros of the Innovation

None provided

Cons of the Innovation

None provided


Facility Indicators

Indicator Value
Visits per year 285000
Water Consumption (liters/use)
Primary energy Usage per year (kWh/use) 3.05
Estimation of Water Saving (%)
Estimation of Energy Saving (%) Low (below 30%)
Estimation Waste and Resource Savings (%)

Other sustainability measures you have introduced

  • LED lights
  • Solar panels

Other relevant information related with innovation

Yearly energy usage is electricity: 870 000 kWh and heat: 9000 GJ. This innovation is a win-win situation for both parties. Operating a supercomputer would involve costs associated with dissipating waste heat, while the swimming pool serves as a heat sink capable of absorbing and utilizing that heat for nearly the entire year. With a favourable exchange rate, operation is cost-effective.


Interest in a specific need that can be addressed by a company offering an innovative sustainability solution.

There are several other developments have been planned that would reduce the building’s reliance on district heating for its heating needs, e.g. HPC Phase II (High Performance Computing) – if the HPC plant were to operate at higher capacity, A heating system that will use geothermal energy is also planned (a shallow geothermal energy usage - 100 – 200 m depth boreholes and heat pumps)


    General Information

  • Country

    Hungary

  • Address

    Zakány Street 4, Debrecen, 4028

  • Owner

    Municipality of Debrecen

  • Manager

    Debreceni Sportcentrum Nonprofit Kft

  • Date of building

    2006

    Contact Details

  • Mail

    info@debrecenisportuszoda.hu

Last update: March 20, 2026, 11:37 a.m.