July the 31st, 2022 - The truly unique Mali Brijun catamaran is ready to set sail, and will be a real hit for all those who use it to see the stunning Brijuni archipelago, which attracts countless visitors each year.

As Morski writes, Marino Milotic, the director of the gorgeous Brijuni National Park, explained how each client is demanding and has some highly specific requirements and needs when it comes to vessels.

''The navigation of the shallow seas in the Brijuni National Park is just as demanding and very specific as those requirements are, and the Mali Brijun catamaran was an extremely demanding vessel to construct precisely because of the fact that it needed to be able to sail through the strait between Veliki and Mali Brijun,'' Milotic told HRT.

In the womb of the vessel, the answer to the question of how this unique prototype will satisfy the set ecological standards of the Brijuni National Park is clearly answered.

''We have a diesel generator which always works at an optimal operating regime. The vessel is equipped with two engines and depending on the needs of the propulsion power, either one or both can be used, so it is essentially optimised in terms of fuel consumption and this has achieved this environmentally friendly effect,'' said Niko Skala, Tehnomont Technical's director.

Shipbuilders struggled to construct the vessel, but they didn't disappoint with the amazing outcome. However, the most interesting part of the Mali Brijun catamaran story worth more than 12 million kuna lies in the project team of the client. With the exception of external associates, the project of the contracting and construction of the ship, was done by an entirely female team. Most didn't have any shipbuilding experience or foreknowledge.

''This project has lasted for more than two years. We've been focused on it totally for more than two years,'' said Marina Giachin Pauletic, head of the maintenance and transportation department.

''The design and construction of the ship lasted for two years, however, everything that preceded the signing of the contract with the shipyard lasted for almost an additional two years. So, the absolute specification techniques needed to be prepared, we needed to create a certain study of the maritime conditions of the Fazana Channel and the like, so when it comes to that, an enormous contribution was provided by my colleague Katja Regvat - the same is true for the design, and the most deserving of praise for the successful public procurement procedure, which was also quite complex, is my colleague Dusanka Cvijanovic, and I'd also like to thank Milena Kostovic, too,'' said Masa Mihelic, head of the project preparation and implementation department.

''We had a great responsibility on our shoulders, but I think in the end we were able to do it all and do it well,'' Giachin Pauletic added.

The capacity of the new Mali Brijun catamaran is 150 passengers, which a four-member crew and a commander will take care of.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

28 March 2022 - The European Commission on Monday approved Croatia's €7.5 million state aid scheme for the maritime sector, transport and transport infrastructure affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state aid will be used to cover fixed costs incurred from March 2020 to June 2020.

Enterprises that suffered at least a 30 percent decline in their revenue in this period compared to the corresponding period in 2019 are eligible to this aid.

The maximum amount of aid is HRK 12 million, and the aid should be approved by no later than 30 June 2022.

The temporary framework for state aid was adopted on 19 March 2020 at the start of the pandemic when the enterprise sector faced difficulties due to a lockdown.

January the 21st, 2022 - The Croatian ferry company Jadrolinija is set to add a further six vessels to its fleet throughout 2022. The move brings with it some considerable hope that there will be more tourists visiting the country this year, particularly during the warm summer months, who will require transportation from the mainland to various islands and between them.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, announced this week that the procurement procedure for six new ships for the Croatian ferry company Jadrolinija will be launched this year, one of which will be for the line connecting the extreme southern Dalmatian islands of Sipan, Lopud and Kolocep with the City of Dubrovnik.

The above line is very important for not only locals of the islands and of Dubrovnik and the surrounding area, but for tourism, as many people plan trips to these beautiful islands when visiting the so-called Pearl of the Adriatic.

"This year we plan to procure six new vessels, three passenger ships and three catamarans through the National Recovery Programme (NPOO), and the construction of these ships will begin in 2023. Dubrovnik can expect a new vessel," said Minister Oleg Butkovic regarding the procurement of the new Jadrolinija vessels for public transport in response to Dubrovnik Mayor Mate Frankovic (HDZ).

The Dubrovnik Mayor has otherwise warned of the dilapidation of the "Postira" vessel which currently runs connecting the City of Dubrovnik and the nearby Elafiti (Elaphite) islands on numerous occasions.

Until then, the good old "Postira" ship will be fully serviced in order to continue doing its job, or, in case that proves pointless, another used ship will be procured in order for the line to continue in its regular function, the minister added.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business and travel sections.

More than two million euros are set to be handed out to various Croatian port authorities from a joint Italian-Croatian programme to ensure to high quality and safe transport on the Adriatic sea.

As Morski writes on the 5th of May, 2020, under the INTERREG V-A Italy-Croatia CBC Programme for 2014-2020, the European Regional Development Fund has approved 7.1 million euros for a project called SUSPORT - Sustainable PORTs.

This is a cross-border cooperation programme between Italy and Croatia in which, in addition to the leading partner - the Port Network Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea - fifteen other project partners are participating, of which 8 are from Italy and 7 are from Croatia.

As part of the project, a total of 2.7 million euros was approved for Croatian partners, of which 2.2 million euros was intended for various Croatian port authorities. To be precise, these are the port authorities of Rijeka, Zadar, Split, Ploce and Dubrovnik. The total part of the budget for each of the aforementioned Croatian port authorities individually amounts to 440,000 euros, of which European Union grants amount to 374,000 euros or 85 percent of the project value.

These funds have been approved for development projects that will increase environmental sustainability and improve the energy efficiency of Croatian ports.

By implementing the project, the Rijeka port authority will see the design and procurement of equipment for the improvement of electric lighting and the introduction of LED lighting technology in public port areas used by citizens enabled. The cash injection will also go towards the procurement and installation of charging stations for electric vehicles. The goal of the project is to save electricity and reduce light pollution in public port areas.

In addition, the money will enable the introduction of alternative energy sources in the port of Gazenica, ie, the installation of a photovoltaic system that will provide energy for port lighting and a solar terminal system for hot water and heating for the Zadar port authority. The goal of that being the saving of electricity and the development of the Gazenica terminal into a "green" port.

The project will enable the further improvement of the quality of port services and environmental protection with the exchange of examples of the best practices for the Split port authority.

For Ploce port, the project will enable the further improvement of the energy efficiency of various port operations and increase its competencies for managing maritime and multimodal freight transport in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Last but my no means least, the project will enable to Dubrovnik port authority the introduction of new LED technology for the lighting of the port area, which will ensure significant savings in electricity consumption.

The project generally addresses the improvement of the quality, safety and environmental sustainability of maritime and coastal transport services by promoting multimodality and will officially start in June/July 2020, and will last for a total of three years.

For more on Croatian port authorities and maritime transport in Croatia, make sure to follow our travel page.