As Novac writes on the 23rd of September, 2020, the focus of the Croatian-Spanish Economic Forum, organised by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in the Republic of Croatia on September the 30th, will present opportunities for cooperation in the field of renewable energy sources.
Although Croatia's share of renewable energy sources in total consumption exceeds the EU target of 20 percent by the end of 2020, the potential isn't even close to being used. The Spanish market is large and requires all company profiles, from aluminum and steel manufacturers, through contractors to designers and consultants.
The domestic equipment and services industry should participate more significantly in the European energy transition. Our companies have the knowledge, and a quality partner can offer that financial strength for an additional step forward and breakthrough into new markets.
''In its recovery plan, Croatia should focus on activities that can restart the economy, on a sustainable basis, and move closer to carbon neutrality, the goal of the European Green Agreement before 2050. This is a great opportunity for domestic companies to find their place on the very potent Spanish market, but also to enter third markets together with their companies. We have a long tradition in the power industry, but we also have something to learn from the Spaniards,'' said the director of the Sector for Energy and Environmental Protection of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Marija Sculac Domac, announcing the Croatian-Spanish Economic Forum, and her claims are supported by the figures.
Namely, Spanish companies own 10.5 percent (over 40,000 MW) of all the world's wind power plants and produce 12 percent of the world's wind turbines and parts for them. More than 20 percent of Spain’s electricity needs are covered by wind farms. The development of the Spanish market is also shown by the fact that in 2018, they produced 84,933 GWh of electricity from wind and solar power, while 1,686 GWh was produced in Croatia.
The envoy for Trade and Economy of the Spanish Embassy in Croatia. Pablo Cascon Salgado, emphasised that Croatia and Spain have many similarities in terms of climate, economic structure and business culture.
''As Mediterranean countries, we have similar conditions for the development of renewable energy sources. Therefore, the exchange of experiences and the association of companies from both countries in this sector can be of great interest for joint progress towards carbon-free economies,'' said Cascon Salgado.
A dozen Spanish companies have already registered for the Croatian-Spanish Economic Forum, among the leaders in the field of RES (especially in the production of electricity from solar power), which clearly shows the great interest in cooperation with Croatian companies. The Spanish multinational power company Iberdrola and the Spanish National Energy Institute IDAE will also participate in the forum through an online lecture.
The International Renewable Energy Agency predicts that the number of jobs in the renewable energy sector will increase to 42 million in the next 30 years, and the fact that they are listed as the 7th global goal of sustainable development speaks volumes about the importance of RES.
According to the HROTE report, 72,016,131 kWh of electricity from solar power plants was produced in Croatia last year, and the total production of electricity from RES increased in 2019 by 16.1 percent compared to the previous year.
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