7 February 2022 - The main aim of the new 2021-2050 hydrogen strategy is to stimulate the production and use of hydrogen to replace fossil fuels, Vjekosalv Jukić from the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development said on Monday, presenting a proposal of the strategy.

The Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) reported that the proposed strategy has been put to public consultation which will last until 27 February.

"Production is based on low-carbon hydrogen, emphasis is on developing new technologies, that is water electrolysis, and there is also pyrolysis or waste gasification. We will endeavour to make production sites also consumption sites in order to relieve the energy system. That will help in the short term also with regard to storage and in the long term with repurposing existing infrastructure for storage and transport, primarily existing gas pipelines but also the construction of new ones," explained Jukić.

On the other hand, to intensify hydrogen use in transport, it is important to obtain hydrogen-powered vehicles as well as build fueling stations, hence the strategy focuses on investing in electrolyzers and fueling stations.

Essential for that is the education of experts, the development and commercialisation of new technologies, and a potential regional hydrogen centre conceived as the central point for connecting science and the economy, Jukić said.

The domestic economy is faced with a long, expensive and complicated process of energy transition and hydrogen should be an important component of it because, as a fuel of the future and a renewable, it is also a solution for decarbonising industrial processes and the economic sector.

The Director of the Industry and Sustainable Development Sector at HGK, Marija Šćulac Domac, said that hydrogen will be very important for many sectors in maintaining competitiveness. She added that there are some 200-odd projects in the world developing and applying hydrogen technology, with 55% of that being in the EU.

"With its hydrogen strategy, Croatia should enter that prestige club of countries developing their own technologies and contributing more concretely to achieving the EU's green objectives," said Šćulac Domac.

Croatia will have significant funds at its disposal for energy transition from various programmes, both national and European, she added.

The head of the Energy Administration in the Economy Ministry, Kristina Čelić, said that the strategy is particularly important for the transport sector, sea, rail and road, and that it provides a great opportunity to protect the Adriatic from fossil fuels.

She underscored that the objective is for 40% of energy consumption by 2030 to be from renewable sources.

ZAGREB, 29 June, 2021 - Croatia can be a green energy transition leader, Economy and Sustainable Development Ministry state secretary Ivo Milatić said on Tuesday at a conference on  Croatia's energy future organised by Lider weekly.

He said Croatia was preparing legislation and all the prerequisites for "as good and successful an energy transition as possible."

Milatić said Croatia had a 2030 energy strategy with an outlook on 2050, a national climate energy plan and amended laws on energy efficiency and biofuels, and that it was in the process of amending laws on renewables and the electricity market.

The latter amendments, he said, will significantly help with green transition as it will allow market development. "There will be no more random development projects without any physical plans."

Milatić said the National Recovery and Resilience Plan envisages HRK 5 billion for energy, of which three billion to digitalise and enhance the electricity network.

"That will help to achieve the main goals, as we committed to installing in Croatia 1,500 new megawatts by the end of 2024. Croatia's plan is to install 2,500 megawatts by 2030."

Milatić said the National Recovery and Resilience Plan also envisaged large sums for heating and energy efficiency in industry.

He said HRK 1 billion was envisaged for a Sisak biorefinery project, a facility that would produce major quantities of fuel, which could make Croatia influential in this part of Europe as well as develop agriculture.

"Our goal is for Croatia not to import 40% of energy and in order to achieve that, we must have many renewable energy source capacities. Croatia can be a green energy transition leader, but it's up to us."

Neven Duić of the Zagreb Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture said Croatia's energy transition policy had changed for the better.

"The European transition hurricane that started brings big changes: 55% less greenhouse gasses by 2030, climate neutrality by 2050, we are heading towards 38 to 40% renewable energy sources by 2030, and the EU's green recovery plan brings money which can be used to push new technologies," he said.

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ZelEn is derived from the words “Zelena Energija”, or green energy.