ZAGREB, 19 July 2022 - The Spanish energy company Acciona Energía has announced the construction of two wind farms in Croatia, which would supply electricity to around 60,000 households.

One wind farm would be built in Split-Dalmatia County and the other in Šibenik-Knin County. The value of the investment is close to €100 million.

The two wind farms will have a total of 16 wind turbines generating 203 GWh of clean energy annually, enough to meet the needs of around 60,000 households, the company said on Monday. Once operational in 2024, they will reduce CO2 emissions by 135,000 tonnes a year, it added.

The two projects are called Opor and Boraja II.

Acciona Energía won the contract in a tender launched by the Croatian energy market operator (HROTE) and the Croatian government. The contract was signed for 12 years.

Acciona Energía has been operating the Jelinak wind farm in Split-Dalmatia County since 2013.

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ZAGREB, 6 May (2022) - Žito Group and E.ON Solar, a company that is part of the E.ON Croatia Group, have signed a contract for the construction of a solar power plant on the premises of the vegetable oil factory in Čepin, which is expected to help save 2.6 gigawatt hours of energy a year and should be put into operation in June.

The new solar power plant will be the eight solar power plant Žito Group operates as part of its energy and environmental strategy.

The seven previously built plants have a total capacity of 2.3 megawatts. The new plant will have a capacity of 2 megawatts and will be the biggest of the eight plants.

Žito Group accounts for 0.3% of the annual electricity consumption in Croatia.

Using organic waste from the group's farms, Žito Group's four biogas units produce 43 gigawatts of electricity a year, which exceeds the group's total consumption. The group expects its energy production to become twice as high as its consumption by the end of 2025, its officials have said, noting that this makes Žito Group one of the most environmentally responsible businesses in Croatia.

Žito Group is a leading agricultural and food group in Slavonia and employs more than 1,350 workers.

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ZAGREB, 23 April 2022 - Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Ćorić formally opened a solar power plant in Mursko Središće on Friday, saying that the Sobočan company has put this northern town on the European map of positive production trends. 

The project cost HRK 4 million (€533,000), of which 70 per cent was provided by the European Union. Thanks to the solar power plant, as much as 70 per cent of the needs of the Sobočan company for its production processes will be met using renewable energy.

Over the last 20 years, Sobočan has evolved from a small family firm into one of the leading European manufacturers of furniture and equipment for world renowned brands, its founder, Franjo Sobočan, said.

He said that the company had begun its green transition in 2016 by building a wood-waste burning plant, and that now it is one of the leaders in applying solutions based on renewable energy sources.

Ćorić said that with its competitiveness and the fact that it exports about 70 per cent of its production, Sobočan can be an example to the entire industrial sector in Croatia. He said that the company has shown how to cope with competition on the global market and become a success story.

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ZAGREB, 21 April 2022 - The head of the REGEA regional energy agency and President Zoran Milanović's adviser on energy and climate, Julije Domac, on Thursday sent an open letter to Minister Tomislav Ćorić with several proposals for mobilising citizens to invest in greater use of renewables.

Domac writes to the Economy and Sustainable Development Minister that in the current circumstances, marred by the energy crisis, energy products' price hikes and efforts to reduce the import of fossil fuels, as well as against a backdrop of climate change to which Croatia is also supposed to respond, the intention of his letter is to point out the need and possibilities of civic energy as an important element of Croatia's overall energy transition.

Therefore he calls for stepping up the development of the market and for opening the door to large-scale participation of citizens in small solar power projects, such as rooftop panel projects.

Domac advocates that investments in individual solar panels up to 50 kilowatts should be exempt from Value Added Tax and for making the procedure simple.

He is also for the introduction of a uniform rate for co-funding solar panel investments up to 25%.

Gradual deregulation of power prices

Domac says that it is necessary to elaborate a system of gradual deregulation of electricity prices for households within three years so as to make electricity prices equal for all categories of consumers.

He holds that the current price tariffs, which make it possible for households to have markedly lower energy prices, undermine cost-efficiency and return on investment in the renewables sector.

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ZAGREB, 24 March - Members of the Croatian Parliament on Thursday welcomed the proposal for a national hydrogen strategy until 2050, stressing the importance of economic development based on hydrogen, own energy production and increased electricity production from renewable sources.

Some opposition lawmakers warned of the commercial unprofitability of green hydrogen.

In recent years, Croatia has been making a great effort in decarbonising its energy sector and economy, its goal being to ensure that by 2030 at least 36.6 per cent of electricity consumption comes from renewable sources, said Ivo Milatić, state secretary at the Ministry of Economy.

A hydrogen-based economy is an important part of plans by EU member states towards a green energy transition, and the proposed strategy follows up on the EU hydrogen initiative, which Croatia signed in 2018, he said.

The proposal puts emphasis on renewable hydrogen, obtained by low-carbon emitting technologies. Some sectors of the Croatian economy have already expressed an interest in developing hydrogen technologies, which is why a government strategic document is needed to give direction to the development of hydrogen technologies, Milatić said.

Ljubica Maksimčuk of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) was interested in whether Croatia was ready for the first phase of the strategy, from 2020 to 2024, which aims to ensure the production of one million tonnes of renewable hydrogen.

"Croatia is ready for this. Under the National Recovery Plan, we have undertaken to install 10 refuelling stations over the next three years and finance a certain number of electrolysers," Milatić said, adding that there was interest from hydrogen associations and private and public companies.

In response to a question put by Andreja Marić of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Milatić said that 60 public transport buses in Zagreb would switch to hydrogen use and that a hydrogen refuelling station would be installed for that purpose.

Vesna Vučemilović (Sovereignists) wanted to know why the proposed strategy gave priority to transport over industry and to green hydrogen, which she said would have to be subsidised because it was commercially unprofitable.

Milatić said that Croatia was rich in renewable energy sources and that it would not be wise to go any other way than green hydrogen. He, however, noted that they were aware that ample government subsidies would be necessary as long as this technology did not become cheaper.

Responding to a question from independent MP Hrvoje Zekanović about the price of a kilogram of hydrogen, Milatić said that its price currently ranged between 12 and 15 euro and that a car with six kilos of hydrogen in the tank can drive between 500 and 600 kilometres.

Marin Miletić (Bridge) said that the EU planned to invest about €500 billion in renewable energy sources by 2050 and Croatia more than HRK 70 billion (€9.3bn), which is equivalent to the cost of 17 Pelješac bridges. He asked Milatić where Croatia would get that money from.

Milatić said that conventional renewable energy sources, such as wind and sun, would require minimum or no state subsidies in the near future. "Our focus will be on small solar cells on houses and on new technologies, and among new technologies, hydrogen will dominate financially and in any other respect."

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ZAGREB, 7 Dec, 2021 - The state secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Ivo Milatić, said on Tuesday that in addition to HRK 390 million set aside for the energy renovation of family housing, as much money would also be allocated to companies for the same purpose.

HRK 400 million will be allocated from the national recovery and resilience plan to companies which failed to get funding in the tender process because there wasn't enough money, Milatić said in response to the question from MP Tomislav Okroša of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) during debate on the final text of the renewable energy bill.

Okroša said that 8,850 applications had been received as part of the call for the energy renovation of housing and the construction of systems for the use of renewable energy sources, while only HRK 390 million was available. He wondered if this call would be issued again and whether this amount would suffice.

Milatić expressed hope that the amount would suffice, "and if not, calls will continue from the new financial perspective and the Environmental Protection Fund," and that all this investment would result in the installation of "a serious amount of solar panels" by the end of 2022.

He dismissed the claim by Zvane Brumnić (Social Democrats group) that the bill had been changed between the two readings indicating that investors would turn an enormous profit at the expense of citizens.

"I don't know where you found this. I categorically deny that private companies will make an enormous profit, that's out of the question," Milatić said.

He said that the bill promoted the use of renewable energy sources and aimed to increase the share of renewable energy in the heating and cooling sector by 1.1 percentage points as the annual average calculated for the period until 2025.

This bill seeks to ensure that there is at least 36.6 per cent of renewable energy in final energy consumption by 2030, the state secretary said.

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ZAGREB, 11 Nov, 2021 - Croatia ranks 28th in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) for 2022, slipping 10 places from last year, while Denmark, Sweden and Norway top the ranking.

Croatia adopted its national long-term strategies in June 2021. The country continues to rely on fossil fuels and is the only EU member state without a clear coal phase-out plan. Overall, the CCPI experts do not see Croatia’s targets as sufficient, the Croatian Society For Sustainable Development Design (DOOR) said in a statement on Thursday.

Success in climate change action is assessed in four categories, and Croatia scored poorly in two of them - greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. It scored high on renewable energy and achieved medium success in the climate policy category.

Croatia placed 11th on the use of renewable energy sources, reflecting a general trend of increasing the installation of systems using renewables in the public and private sector. It ranked 26th on climate policy.

No country performs well enough in all index categories to achieve an overall very high rating, CCPI said.

Denmark is this year's top performer, thanks to a considerable reduction in the use of coal over the past 20 years and a shift to renewable energy sources, which now account for 30 per cent of its energy supply. 

In Europe, the worst performers are Hungary (53rd), Poland (52nd), the Czech Republic (51st) and Slovenia (50th). Globally, Australia, one of the biggest coal exporters in the world, ranked 58th.

The Netherlands is among the countries with the biggest improvements, climbing up 10 spots to 19th place, while Norway is the first country to receive a very high rating in the renewable energy category.  

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ZAGREB, 23 Oct, 2021 - Energy transition has become a major topical issue on Croatian islands, notably large ones such as Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Korčula, over recent years, however, local inhabitants need more education and information on the matter, heard a conference held in Korčula last Thursday and Friday.

Islands are areas where the need for energy self-sufficiency is more compelling than elsewhere, and in the case of Croatian islands it is even more conspicuous during the tourist season in summer when glitches in electricity and water supply systems are more frequent, it was said at the conference, organised by the Movement for Islands and the Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat.

"Although they are faced with specific challenges, islands are in a unique position to be front-runners in efforts to achieve energy transition, thanks to abundance of renewable energy resources," said Antonia Proka of the Secretariat.  

During the secretariat's two-day academy, experts discussed financing tools and mechanisms as well as citizen engagement in energy transition.

The implementation of clean energy in the farming and tourist sectors, which are dominant on islands, reduce operating costs and boost the competitiveness of businesses in those sectors.

Also, improvements in waste management on islands can be attained by implementing clean energy technologies, it was said.

A great challenge is insufficient awareness of islanders and inadequate education. Although over recent years a series of successful projects have been launched, transition to clean energy on the Croatian islands is still slow.

The conference presented the example of the island of Samso in the Kattegat sea area between Denmark and Sweden, which has been successful in the use of renewables since 1997. A part of the local wind parks on that Danish island belongs to the local model renewable energy community. Now 100% of its electricity comes from wind power and biomass.

In 2000, the local community established the Samso Energy Academy, which today serves as a centre for development of technologies and a meetinghouse for knowledge and solutions.

Participants in the Korčula conference called on the Croatian authorities to organise energy transition seminars, conferences and training for local population.

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September 24, 2021 - The Energy And Climate Change Program published three public calls for green energy projects. The deadline for new ideas is November 24.

Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP) is already enrolled in the DANUP-2-Gas Project (concerned with introducing renewable energy to the Danube region) and the REPLACE Project (for replacing current heating and cooling systems in Primorska Goranska county with eco-friendly variants). But, this doesn't mean that it isn't keeping an eye for new initiatives and endeavors in the energy-efficient sector.

In part of the „Energy and Climate Change“ (ECC) Program, the EIHP informs that the first three calls for delivering project proposals were published on September 14, and the admissions are open until November 24.

„Acceptable applicants are all legal subjects, whether public or private, commercial or non-commercial organizations as well as non-governmental organizations, founded in Croatia. Additionally, project partners, apart from Croatian, can also include legal persons founded in donator countries (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein)“, says the EIHP website.

EIHP also elaborated all three calls for those who are interested in participating.

The first one, titled „Increased Solar Energy Production Capacity“, is worth 7,400,000.00 EUR and supports pilot projects of integrated photovoltaic powerplants with the goal of boosting exploitation of solar energy.

The second call worth 1.534.000,00 EUR is called „Energy Production From the Sea“ and looks for pilot projects and pre-investment studies for implementing a system of sea source heat pumps for heating and cooling.

Finally, the third call named „Technical Documentation For Geothermal Energy“ worth 3,000,000.00 EUR asks for making technical documentation needed to develop projects of geothermal energy.

„The main goal of the Programme “Energy and Climate Change” (ECC) is to increase the usage of technologies with lower carbon emissions and enlarged security of energy supply in the Republic of Croatia, which is aligned to the key objectives of the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism. The Programme is particularly focused on energy efficiency measures and the promotion of renewable energy sources, including geothermal, marine and solar energy sources“, explains the eeagrants website.

EIHP adds that the projects that will be accepted in these public calls are co-financed by the EAA financial mechanism for the 2014-2021 period by 85%.

Or as the eeagrants website clarifies, EEA gave 17 million EUR for the ECC program while Croatia (in the domain of Croatian Regional Development Ministry) covers the rest with 3 million EUR.

The project proposals are awaited in hopes Croatia will continue its green energy revolution. Remembering the previous article from TCN about the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar being the first nearly zero energy building in Croatia, it's clear the country is on a good way so far.

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September 17, 2021 - The DANUP-2-Gas Project, developing renewable energy opportunities for all Danube countries, is set to hold a stakeholder event on September 28 at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Engineering and Computing (FER).

The beautiful Danube region in Slavonia, apart from boasting natural beauty, also has a lot of historical and archaeological significance. This is evident with the European Commission having recognised the ''Iron Age Danube Route'' earlier this year.

That being said, the Danube river also boasts a political and economic factors, the one that unites all the countries through which the Danube flows. One form of such international cooperation is the DANUP-2-GAS project.

''The Danube region holds huge potential for sustainable generation and the storage of renewable energy. However, to date, this region has remained highly dependent on energy imports, while energy efficiency, diversity and renewables share are low. In line with the EU climate targets for 2030 and the EUSDR PA2 goals, DanuP-2-Gas will advance transnational energy planning by promoting generation and storage strategies for renewables in the Danube region by coupling electric power and the gas sector,'' says the official website of Interreg Danube which is handling the project.

In an effort to achieve their goals, the DANUP-2-Gas project aims to bring together energy agencies, business actors, public authorities, and research institutions to join the cause.

The project started on the July 1 2020, and it will last until the end of 2022. So far, 24 institutions from Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and of course Croatian partners have begun cooperating for DANUP-2-Gas, united by the geographical fact that the Danube connects them all. The Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute (EIHP), the International Centre for the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, and the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) are the project's Croatian representatives. Check out the full list of partners in the project here.

As (EIHP) reported on its website, September 28 will be an important date for the DANUP-2-Gas project as FER will hold a stakeholder event from 09:30 to 12:30, the lectures held in English will explain the potential of the project, as well as the uses and benefits of renewable energy in the hope of encouraging more support.

The event is imagined as a hybrid event, being held partly online and partly in person, but as EIHP warns, there is a risk of the event ending up being held entirely online, depending on the epidemiological situation.

''Based on the platform developed during the DTP project ENERGY BARGE, it will incorporate all pre-existing tools and an atlas, mapping previously unexamined available biomass and energy infrastructure. Further, a pre-feasibility study utilising an optimisation tool for efficient hub design will identify suitable locations for sectors coupling hubs and a combination of two idle resources in the Danube region.

The unused organic residue (e.g., straw) will be processed to biochar for easy transport along the Danube river and as the basis for synthesis gas generation. Adding hydrogen produced from surplus renewable energy allows for the upgrading of this syngas to a renewable natural gas. This will enable the storage of surplus energy in the existing gas distribution grid, increasing energy security and efficiency. All of the resources required for this process are available in the Danube region and the ten partner countries,'' the Interreg Danube website stated, elaborating the positive changes it is attempting to achieve.

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