March 8, 2021 - The 24th round of the Croatian First League was held from March 5 to 7, 2021. In this round, Dinamo tops Rijeka 2:0, and Osijek and Gorica draw at City Garden Stadium. 

Istra 1961 v. Sibenik (3:2)

Istra and Sibenik opened the 24th round on Friday, March 5, 2021, in Pula. 

Sahiti put Sibenik in the lead with one minute to go in the first half (0:1). Grzan scored a penalty for Istra 10 minutes later to equalize, and Ivancic put Istra in the lead two minutes after that for 2:1. Hara gave Istra the 3:1 lead in the 63rd minute, and Sibenik's Bulat scored for 3:2 in the 75th minute for the final result. 

Istra is currently in last place with 17 points, while Sibenik is in 6th place with 26. 

Slaven Belupo v. Lokomotiva (0:0)

Belupo and Lokomotiva met in Koprivnica on Saturday, March 6, 2021. 

Neither team was able to score, and the match ended at 0:0.

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 22 points, while Lokomotiva is in 9th with 20. 

Hajduk v. Varazdin (2:0)

Hajduk and Varazdin met on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at Poljud Stadium in Split. 

Colina opened the match with a goal for Hajduk in the 8th minute (1:0). An own goal by Memija just before the half made it 2:0. Hajduk's Fossati and Varazdin's Guera Djou were given their second yellows and sent off the pitch in a dramatic end to the match. 

Hajduk is currently in 4th place with 32 points, while Varazdin is in 8th with 22. 

Osijek v. Gorica (1:1)

Osijek and Gorica met on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at City Garden Stadium. 

While the first half went without goals, Dieye gave Gorica the 0:1 lead in the 55th minute. Osijek didn't equalize until the 88th minute when Bohar scored a penalty for 1:1.  

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 52 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 47. 

Dinamo v. Rijeka (2:0)

Dinamo and Rijeka closed out the 24th round on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium.

Ivanusec scored Dinamo's first goal in the 27th minute for 1:0 at the half. Orsic increased Dinamo's lead in the 65th minute for 2:0, which was the final result. 

Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 54 points, while Rijeka dropped to 5th with 32. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 5 March, 2021 - The Administrative Court in Rijeka issued a non-final verdict and rejected the claim of the Green Action and Green Istria associations, which sought to revoke the environmental permit for the coal-fired Plomin 1 thermal power plant issued by the Economy and Sustainable Development Ministry.

As the court reported, when announcing the verdict, which can be appealed against to the High Administrative Court, it was said that the administrative dispute did not decide whether the planned operation of Plomin 1 was inconsistent with the strategies and plans of the HEP power company and the Croatian government.

According to the explanation, those issues are not subject to consideration when determining the conditions for issuing an environmental permit. The court determined that the decision was made in accordance with the relevant regulations on the issuance of environmental permits for existing plants. It also established that the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development correctly and fully established the decisive facts in the administrative procedure, with valid application of substantive law.

Bernard Ivčić of the Green Action said on Friday that the associations would, after receiving the explanation of the verdict, consider the possibilities and probably file an appeal.

ZAGREB, 4 March, 2021 - The Viktor Lenac shipyard posted a net profit of HRK 34.6 million in 2020, which is 66.1% more than in 2019, according to an unaudited financial statement released on Wednesday by this dock, based in the municipality of Kostrena near Rijeka.

The company's total revenues fell 4.2% to HRK 306.2 million, and the expenditure decreased 11.2% to HRK 265.1 million on the year, according to the financial statement released on the Zagreb Stock Exchange (ZSE).

The dock's EBITDA came to HRK 73.6 million.

In 2020, there were 364 employees on the company's payroll and their average monthly wage was HRK 7,853.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

March 4, 2021 – Following a national competition, the Croatian Photo Association have chosen the best Croatian artistic photography of the year. 10 incredible images will now represent Croatia in the prestigious Biennial of the International Federation of Photographic Art in Paris.

Following a national competition, the Croatian Photo Association (Hrvatski Fotosavez) have chosen the best Croatian artistic photography of the year. 10 incredible images will now represent Croatia in the prestigious Biennial of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) in Paris.

The International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP - Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique)

The International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP - Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique) is an international organization of national associations of photography. More than 85 national associations are members, comprising nearly one million individual photographers.

FIAP was founded by M. Van de Wijer of Belgium in 1946. Its first congress took place in Bern, Switzerland in 1950. At this time, one of the national photographic associations represented was that of Yugoslavia. Following the federation's break up, each of its former republics now runs its own national photography association. Continuing a 70 year tradition, they still enter the prestigious International Federation of Photographic Art Biennial.

FIAP congresses have grown so large over the years, they are now seperated into different categories and held once every two years. Black and white and nature photography have their biennials one year, and the next year colour photography gets its biennial. The competition congress visits different countries each year. The 2021 FIAP Colour Biennial will be held in Paris, France.

The FIAP Colour Biennial competition and congress is split into two parts. The oldest, and arguably the most prestigious part of the competition, sees the best photography appearing in print and displayed individually upon the walls of the host venue. 10 examples of the best Croatian artistic photography of the year have been chosen by Hrvatski Fotosavez to represent Croatia in this section of the event.

A further 20 Croatian entries will appear in the congress's other section – projected photography. These entries are submitted digitally, rather than in print, to be shown in projection at the event.

Following a national competition, the Croatian Photo Association have chosen the best Croatian artistic photography of the year to represent Croatia in the prestigious congress and competition.

The Croatian Photo Association (Hrvatski Fotosavez)

The Croatian Photo Association (Hrvatski Fotosavez) is the legal successor of the Photographic Association of Croatia, founded on March 27, 1949 in Zagreb, and the historical successor of the Croatian Amateur Photographic Association, founded on June 11, 1939 in Zagreb. Its members are individual photography clubs and societies from all over Croatia. From their ranks, the best Croatian artistic photography of the year have been chosen.

Photography and cinema club 'Picok' from Đurđevac (Foto kino klub Picok, Đurđevac)

For the 2021 entries to the Colour Photography Biennial in Paris, special mention must be given to the remarkable achievements of one society of photographers from the town of Đurđevac. Of the 30 photographs selected to represent Croatia in this year's competition, no less than 8 of them came from members of this one photography society. In addition to Mato Zeman and Željko Car, who are interviewed below, works by Ivan Hećimović and Ivan Nemet were also selected. According to these results, Photography and cinema club 'Picok' from Đurđevac are the most successful association in this year's Croatian Photo Association competition. Coincidentally, the four Đurđevac photographers had a large joint exhibition of award-winning photographs in Đurđevac just last year. After the event, all 40 works exhibited were donated by the photographers to the city of Đurđevac. Bravo Picoki!

FIAP, Hrvatski Fotosavez and the 10 photographers chosen for 2021 FIAP Colour Biennial have kindly given Total Croatia News exclusive permission to reproduce this year's print entries. Here, we profile the best Croatian artistic photography of the year and meet the photographers.

The Best Croatian Artistic Photography 2021

Damir Rajle 'Sunshine Road'

Croatian artistic photography by Damir Rajle

My name is Damir Rajle. I am semi-professional photographer from Osijek. My primary profession is cartographer and land surveyor, mostly involved in digital orthophoto and topographic maps. My photograph 'Sunshine Road' is a wine road in Baranja. I am very often in that exact place. But, that day, the setting sun was directly ahead and so I tried a couple of shots. Suddenly, a boy came along, silhouetting himself against the sunlit road. The naturally hilly landscape of the vineyard adds to the composition.

Dušan Grbac 'Žuti'

Croatian artistic photography by Dušan Grbac

My name is Dušan Grbac and I was born in 1960, in Rovinj. I started shooting and developing black and white photography in 1975. I developed the photographs on my own in a small, analogue darkroom at home. In 1982 I became a member of the Photo Club Rovinj and thereafter participated in a number of exhibitions. In 2002 I embraced digital photography. I actually work as an IT specialist. In my free time, I like to engage in photography and I've held dozens of lectures and workshops about photography. I'd really like to pass on to others everything I've learned about photography over the years. 'Žuti' (Yellow) was actually taken in January 2006 in the Italian town of Dobbiaco. The annual balloon show was held at a temperature of -16 °C! This made the sky crystal blue. I couldn't resist that tonal contrast, the colours... and 'voila'.

Mirjana Spajić Buturac 'Saturn'

Croatian artistic photography by Mirjana Spajić Buturac

My name is Mirjana Spajić Buturac. I'm originally from Vinkovci, but I have been living in Zagreb for 20 years. I studied in Osijek and by profession, I am a professor of mathematics and informatics. I've been interested in photography since my student days. However, it was a colleague, Professor Vladimir Šimunić that truly awoke my passion for photography in me and in 2014 I certified as a photographer, enrolled in Fotoklub Zagreb and started participating in photography competitions. I took an online course at Udemy to perfected my use of Photoshop and photo processing. I work at the School of Crafts for Personal Services in Zagreb, which, among other things, has a photography major, and in addition to mathematics and computer science, I now also teach digital photography. I am so happy that photography has become a part of my job! 'Saturn' was taken in December 2020. It shows drops of olive oil in water. Under the influence of ultraviolet light and a fluorescent poster under the bowl of water, the oil droplets took on a three-dimensional effect. My seven-year-old son Leon noticed that the largest droplet had a dark ring, like Saturn. That's how the photo got its name.

Mato Zeman 'Spring Fields'

Croatian artistic photography by Mato Zeman

My name is Mato Zeman and photography has been my hobby for long time. I live in Kloštar Podravski, a small village in Podravina, between the river Drava on the north and Bilogora mountain on the south. In my full0time job I worked in the 112 Emergency Centre in Koprivnica, but I've now been retired for 2 years. Photography is my hobby for a long time. I've participated in several international photo contests. In 2015, FIAP awarded me the honorary title FIAP Artist and three years later the title EFIAP (Excellence Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique). I am a member of the Photo and Cinema club 'Picok' in Đurđevac. I'm also a member of the local artistic association 'Kloštranska paleta' in my home village. Two of my works were selected for FIAP 2021 Biennial of Colour Photography in France and will represent my country. I am very proud of this. The one appearing in print 'Spring Fields' was taken at the fields of young corn on the slopes of Bilogora. The rows of corn are in a nice S line, the sky is partly cloudy with the sun shining through.

Nenad Martić 'Red, White and Blue 2'

Croatian artistic photography by Nenad Martić

My name is Nenad Martić. I was born in 1951 in Zagreb, where I graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at the Faculty of Education, University of Zagreb.I devoted most of my professional career to graphic design and illustration, beginning in the 1980s with the Start and Svijet magazines. The second half of my career was marked by the gradual introduction of a new artistic expression; digital photography. Free of assignment of specific commissions and deadlines, artistic photography became a passion. I dedicated myself to it for the last ten years. I take different kinds of photographs, but I most prefer street photography. It's a kind of documentary photography, focusing on the nuances of human gestures and street context, capturing and conveying the moment to those who are not there. 2014 was a turning point for me because I joined Photo Club Zagreb. Thereafter, I had three solo exhibitions, was included in over a hundred group ones and won several international and national awards and nominations. These included the Ferdinand Soprano Grand Prix and the Viktor Hreljanovic Award from Photo Club Rijeka in 2019, most successful author and the most successful Croatian author at the 39th Zagreb Salona in 2020 and I won the prestigious Tošo Dabac Award 2019 for outstanding contribution to photography in Croatia. My photo 'Red, White and Blue 2' was taken on the island of Lošinj. The model is my daughter. It is one of a series of photographs taken with red cloth.

Silvija Butković 'Together'

Croatian artistic photography by Silvija Butkovic

My name is Silvija Butkovic and I was born in 1964 in Osijek, Croatia. As a child, I lived on the island Lošinj. I returned to Slavonia when I entered University. I now live and work in Đakovo as manager of tourism an public relations at the State Stud Farm Đakovo (National Lipizzan Stud Farm Đakovo - Državna ergela Đakovo). Language and photography are my great loves. Lately, I've been making photo haigas, a Japanese combination of poetry and photography. The World Haiku Association recently awarded me the title Master of Haiga for my work. You can see some of it on their website www.worldhaiku.net/haiga. Lošinj and the heart of the Slavonian plain are a constant inspiration. I also adore horses and I love watching them through the camera. I'm a member of 'Photo-cinema Club Djakovo', 'Photo-Club Rijeka' and 'Matica Hrvatska'

Željko Car 'Spring'

Croatian artistic photography by Željko Car

My name is Željko Car. I'm a lawyer by profession. I first published photos in newspapers (I was a correspondent for several). Since 1984 I've participated in exhibitions in many countries around the world. I have more than 300 awards and diplomas, and I received the honorary title of EFIAP. Two of my photos were selected for the 2021 Biennial of Colour Photography in France - 'Spring' and 'Snow on the river bank'. Both photos were taken near Đurđevac, the city where I live. With 'Spring' I wanted to show the beauty and ambient values of the area where I live. It was actually taken in the spring of 2000.

Aleksandar Tomulić 'Valencia 5'

Croatian artistic photography by Aleksandar Tomulić

My name is Aleksandar Tomulić and I'm from Rijeka. I'm a semi-professional photographer. My main profession is IT. I've been taking photos since I was a kid. I was born in 1967. I became more seriously involved in photography in 2004. It's the magic of capturing an unrepeatable moment that fascinates me, and the feel for light and composition. I prefer street photography and seaside motifs, and I like to experiment with abstract images. Since 2013 I've volunteered to give classes and workshops. I'd like to pass on what I've learned about photography. I've had 15 one-man shows, participated in over 500 group shows and received over 320 awards. The Croatian Photo Association have selected my work ten times to represent Croatia at FIAP Biennales. I'm a member of 'Fotoklub Color' and 'Fotoklub Pag.' My photo 'Valencia 5' was taken, of course, in Valencia in the City of Art and Science. I took the shot in 2018. That new part of Valencia is the concept of famous architect Santiago Calatrava.

Ante Jaša 'Knot in Passage'

Croatian artistic photography by Ante Jaša

My name is Ante Jaša. I was born on 19th October 1951 in Kukljica-Zadar. From the earliest days of my childhood, I played with a 'box camera' we had at home. My grandfather bought it in New York. He could never have known this would lead to his grandson having solo photography exhibitions in out home town. In 1970, my photography and writing started to be published in dailies (newspapers), weeklies and journals. By 1999 I'd progressed to be on the editorial board of the feuilleton “Mareta” (Wave) in the paper “Narodni list” - Zadar. I've exhibited my works at 418 collective exhibitions on every continent and have received numerous awards. I'm a member of the photo clubs 'Zagreb', 'Zadar' and 'Kornat' Kukljica. Sea and stone are the main motifs of my work. There's an inherent tension between them which I'm exploring. By taking photographs of both traditional and modern ways of life on the islands near Zadar, I show their natural ambience, the sea as well as on the mainland around Zadar. My photo 'Knot in Passage' was actually taken in 2015. The photo shows the entrance to the Art Gallery in Zadar. In the courtyard of the entrance was a modern metal sculpture. I put the sculpture in the foreground. The entrance is wide open and a passerby can be seen on the street. The sculpture seems to be inviting people to enter the gallery.

Ivan Nemet 'Field Geometry'

Croatian artistic photography by Ivan Nemet

My name is Ivan Nemet. I was born in Kloštar Podravski. I am retired and I spent my entire working life working on oil wells all over the world. Photography has been a hobby since my early days. I love all kinds of photos, but my favourite is landscape photography. Over the last few years, I’ve quite often been taking photos with a drone. Photographs from a bird's eye view are often interesting because they reveal compositions that cannot be seen from the ground. I've participated in various international photography exhibitions, one of them being this year's 29th Biennale in France. The Croatian jury selected two of my photos. They were both taken using a drone. The name of the first photo is 'Reed car'. It was made in the winter on the mountain Bilogora. The name of the other photo is 'Field Geometry'. The emphasis is on the lines created by the action. Both were made not far from where I live, in the continental part of Croatia, between the river Drava and the small mountain Bilogora. The name of this part of Croatia is Podravina.

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March 3, 2021 - The first two rounds of the Croatian Cup quarterfinals were held on Wednesday. Rijeka and Dinamo are the first two Croatian clubs to secure their spot in the semifinals. 

The current Croatian Cup titleholders celebrated 2:1 on the road against Osijek in the first quarterfinal match of this year's Croatian Cup.

Rijeka's Robert Murić scored the leading goal in the 7th minute for 1:0. Osijek equalized in the 14th minute thanks to captain Mile Škorić. In the 35th minute, Rijeka goalkeeper Nevistić saved Mierez's penalty. The winning goal for Rijeka was scored again by Murić from a penalty kick in the 71st minute.

Slobodan Kadic

In his first game on the Rijeka bench, Goran Tomić came to victory and took the defending champions to the semifinals.

This was the first time Nenad Bjelica's Osijek were defeated at City Garden Stadium. The match at City Garden Stadium was reffed by Mario Zebec. 

Dinamo and Slaven Belupo met in the second quarterfinal match at 5 pm at Maksimir, only three days after Dinamo won against Belupo 3:0 at the same stadium. 

Dinamo coach Zoran Mamić rested goalkeeper Dominik Livaković and defender Rasmus Lauritsen this match, instead giving a chance to Mario Gavranović, Marko Tolić, and Lirim Kastrati. 

While the first half ended 0:0, a Dinamo penalty scored by Bruno Petkovic in the 70th minute helped the Zagreb club turn the game around. Captain Arijan Ademi scored eight minutes later for 2:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Recall, Gorica v Hajduk and Oriolik v Istra 1961 will play their quarterfinal round matches on March 16 and 17, 2021. Hajduk secured the last quarterfinal spot on Tuesday after beating Zagreb 3:0 at Veslačka Street Stadium in Zagreb.

The semi-final matches are scheduled for March 31, and the final will be played on May 19, 2021. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 1, 2021 - The 23rd round of the Croatian First League was held from February 26 to 28, 2021. In this round, Osijek comes back to beat Varazdin, and Hajduk records another win at Rujevica against Rijeka. 

Varazdin v. Osijek (2:3)

Varazdin and Osijek opened the 23rd round on Friday, February 26, 2021, in Varazdin. 

Peco scored the first goal of the match in the 16th minute for 1:0 Varazdin, which Herrera increased to 2:0 five minutes later. Varazdin could not hold onto their lead for long, with an Osijek penalty in the 52nd minute (Mierez) bringing them back in the game. Santini equalized for Osijek in the 68th minute, and Mierez scored again for the 2:3 win 10 minutes later. 

Varazdin is currently in 7th place with 22 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 51. 

Sibenik v. Lokomotiva (0:0)

Sibenik and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, February 27, 2021, in Sibenik. 

Neither team was able to score in the 0:0 draw. 

Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 26 points, while Lokomotiva is in 9th with 19. 

Rijeka v. Hajduk (0:1)

The thrilling Adriatic Derby between Rijeka and Hajduk was played on Saturday, February 27, 2021, at Rujevica Stadium. 

The only goal of the match came in the 72nd minute when Umut scored thanks to Livaja's debut assist for 0:1 Hajduk. Rijeka was awarded a penalty in the final seconds of the match (96'), but Andrijasevic shot at goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic for the critical Hajduk win. Rijeka's coach Simon Rožman resigned after the match, and the club should announce a new coach soon. 

Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 32 points, while Hajduk is in 5th place with 29. 

Gorica v. Istra 1961 (2:1)

Gorica and Istra met on Sunday, February 28, 2021, in Velika Gorica. 

Istra's Bande scored the first goal of the match in the 25th minute, which was the score at the half. Lovric equalized for 1:1 in the 50th minute, and Mudrinski gave Gorica the lead in the 73rd minute for the 2:1 final result. 

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 46 points, while Istra is in 10th place with 14. 

Dinamo v. Slaven Belupo (3:0)

Dinamo and Slaven Belupo closed out the 23rd round on Sunday, February 28, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium. 

The first half went without goals after a VAR decision called Lauritsen's goal offside in the 37th minute. Gvardiol scored Dinamo's first goal in the 60th minute, followed by Tolic four minutes later for 2:0. Gavranovic made it 3:0 in the 90th minute. 

Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 51 points, while Belupo is in 8th with 21. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.  

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February 24, 2021 - After many years of successful business, Rijeka's Rakhia Bar embarks on a new challenge - going global through franchising.

HRTurizam reports that despite the pandemic, they did not give up on their idea because they were confident in this project from the very beginning. They believe that it would be a real shame for such an original and above all successful business concept to remain in only one city, without giving the world an opportunity to experience it.

Only a few days after they went public, inquiries for the franchise started arriving, not only from Croatian but also from European cities, points out Matija Blažević, one of the owners of Rakhia Bar, and adds that their offer of 100 types of rakija, and the entire concept, delighted the world.

"The situation with the pandemic did not discourage us because we really believe in this project. Rakhia Bar is the first 'rakhijarnica' to be franchised. We were surprised by the number of inquiries that arrived in such a short time. Most of them came from Croatia, and we were especially pleased with those from Italy, Slovenia, and Malta," Blažević points out.

The Rakhia Bara offer includes more than 100 types of rakija.

It is the heart of fun and nightlife for all young people in Rijeka. It is one of the few bars that does not follow trends but creates them. Rakhia Bar offers unique items; one of the most popular is a meter of rakija that can hold 21 different flavors and original entertainment concepts. They have also launched many products - rakija ice cream, mulled rakija, cocktails with rakija, and many others. In 2019, 85,956 rakijas were sold, an additional indicator that Rakhia Bar is truly a small paradise for all lovers of this spirit.

In the first phase of expanding the franchise, the owners will be focused on Croatia, but they will also enter the foreign market very quickly. "From the beginning of the idea until its final realization, it takes a lot of time, effort, and work, but also Andrija Čolak, our biggest support during this franchise trip. Andrija Čolak is the owner of the only Croatian international franchise - Surf ‘n’ Fries, present in 16 countries and a specialized group for franchise consulting. We had really excellent cooperation with him, for which we are extremely grateful," adds Blažević.

In addition to the franchising process, during the pandemic, they created a new home brand of rakija- The Hogster.

"We have decided to complete our offer of over 100 types of rakija with our own line. The idea for creating The Hogster came after years of working with rakijas, and the inspiration for the flavors comes directly from our guests, so we adapted the flavors to their wishes. So far, we have marketed 13 rakijas, we have developed a recipe for 20, and we will continue to expand and complete our range with even more exotic flavors," concludes Blažević.

To read more about business in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February 22, 2021 - The 22nd round of the Croatian First League was held from February 19 to 21, 2021. In this round, Osijek tops Rijeka 2:0 at City Garden Stadium. 

Slaven Belupo v. Sibenik (2:2)

Belupo and Sibenik opened the 22nd round on Friday, February 19, 2021, in Koprivnica. 

Ampem scored for the Sibenik lead in the 21st minute for 0:1, which Juric increased to 0:2 in the 39th minute. 

Knoll and Ilicic came back with goals for Belupo in the final minutes of the first half to equalize 2:2, which was the final result.

Belupo is currently in 8th place with 21 points, while Sibenik is in 6th with 25. 

Istra 1961 v. Varazdin (0:1)

Istra and Varazdin met on Saturday, February 20, 2021, in Pula. 

The first half went without goals as Istra's Loncar missed a penalty in the 32nd minute. The only goal of the match came in the 88th minute when Varazdin's Senic scored for 0:1, which was the final result. 

Istra is currently in last place with 14 points, while Varazdin is in 7th with 22. 

Lokomotiva v. Gorica (0:3)

Lokomotiva and Gorica met on Saturday, February 20, 2021, in Zagreb. 

Steenvoorden opened Gorica's scoring spree with an early goal in the 10th minute, which was the score going into the half. Dieye increased Gorica's lead to 0:2 in the 74th minute, and Mitrovic made it 0:3 less than 10 minutes later for 0:3. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 9th place with 18 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 43. 

Osijek v. Rijeka (2:0)

Osijek and Rijeka closed out the 22nd round on Sunday, February 21, 2021, at City Garden Stadium. 

Osijek's Mierez scored the first goal of the match in the 25th minute for 1:0 at the half. Mierez increased Osijek's lead to 2:0 in the 69th minute, which was the final result. 

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 48 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 32. 

The eternal derby between Hajduk and Dinamo at Poljud was postponed as 12 Hajduk players are infected with COVID-19. The match will be played in the first possible free term, and the decision on the date will be made later. You can read more about the decision on Hajduk.hr. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February the 21st, 2021 - The Rijeka 3 Maj shipyard has had some construction enquiries of late, could the market finally be waking up despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic?

As Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes, at a recent session of the Croatian Government, a proposal for a conclusion on the manner of completion of the construction of the ship Novogradnja (Newbuild) 514, which is being built at the Rijeka 3 Maj shipyard, was adopted.

The government has instructed the Ministry of the Economy and Sustainable Development, in cooperation with Jadranbrod, to contract the completion of Novogradnja 514 at the Rijeka 3 Maj shipyard. This move initiated the procedure of completing the construction of the ship for an as yet unknown buyer.

At the Government session, a loan from the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development was approved in order to finance the completion of the construction of the ship. It is a car transport ship and that vessel is part of a recovery plan and the start production at the Rijeka 3 Maj shipyard. The ship was previously owned by the bankrupt Uljanik shipyard in Pula, which contracted the work with the client, and the Rijeka Maj 3 shipyard was contracted as the builder of the ship.

"This is a ship that is part of a package of three ships that the Croatian Government decided to complete back in August last year. Novogradnja 514 is the last ship in that package. Apart from meeting the conditions of that decision, this job means something to us because our capacities are additionally employed and in this way the costs on other ships can be reduced. Our obligation is to complete the construction of this ship and we should do it in about a year, and the Croatian Government should then be able to find a buyer for it.

In addition to the ships from this package, one of which has been completed, the other is nearing completion. Along with Novogradnja 514, which is in the Rijeka 3 Maj shipyard, there is another ship on the first slipway. That ship was otherwise claimed as part of the bankruptcy property of Uljanik.

In addition to all ove this, we've had several inquiries for interesting projects that I've been processing. Such inquiries are very important to us because they show that the market has begun to wake up a bit, but also that the market recognises that the Rijeka May 3 shipyard is one that has started up again and remains alive. For that reason, we're receiving those inquiries,'' said Sinisa Ostojic of the shipyard.

To briefly recall, the client behind Novogradnja 514 terminated its construction contract back in 2018 at a time when about 70 percent of the construction of the ship had already been completed. In October last year, the government took ownership of Novogradnja 514, after that, a new model was awaited according to which construction would be completed.

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February the 19th, 2021 - Norwegian electric ferries have been presented in the Northern Adriatic city of Rijeka as an idea for Adriatic maritime transport along the Croatian coastline.

As Morski/Marinko Glavan writes, Edmund Tolo from the company Fjellstrand AS, which produces the ferries, considers electric ferries a good solution for the Croatian coast and Adriatic maritime transport, especially on high-frequency shorter lines, such as those in the more northern part of the Adriatic.

''Up in Norway, especially in the fjords, we have a lot of tourists in the summer, to whom, like Croatia, we sell clean nature and clean air. But by transporting these tourists by ships and ferries, we destroyed that very same clean air and pure nature they come for. To prevent this, the idea of ​​fully electric ferries was created, of which there are already forty in use in the Norwegian fjords today, and in the next few years that number will grow significantly,'' said Edmund Tolo, an engineer from the Norwegian shipbuilding company Fjellstrand AS, known for their off-shore and other work boats, as well as fast passenger catamarans, Novi list writes.

Tolo held a presentation of electric ferries in Rijeka as a solution for Croatian ferry lines and Adriatic maritime transport, as part of the AdRia4Blue event organised by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) - the Rijeka County Chamber, in cooperation with the Kingdom of Norway.

According to Tolo, Norway's experience in using electric ferries has proven to be very good indeed, especially when running on shorter lines, of which there are many in Croatia, and as such Tolo is convinced that electric ferries will sail along the Croatian coast providing Adriatic maritime transport in the future.

''We started the development of a fully electric ferry due to the need to protect the environment in the sensitive ecosystem of the Norwegian fjords. We have more than 130 ferry lines, we've analysed them all and initially determined 50 of them that we considered suitable for electric ferries. When designing the first electric ferry, we had to practically start from scratch, because there were no such similar vessels. The biggest problem was the batteries, their capacity and their lifespan.

The point is that if you use batteries, such as those suitable for installation on a ship, in such a way that they are completely discharged and then charged, they have a very limited shelf life, of only a few hundred cycles. If you use 50 percent of the battery capacity, their service life is one year, but then we wondered how long they'd last if we use only ten to fifteen percent of the capacity on each trip. In that case, the battery life is extended to ten years, which is economically acceptable,'' explained Tolo.

Fjellstrand's engineers have also faced a number of other challenges, such as how to reduce the weight of the ship, and especially how to reduce the total energy consumption of all of the ship systems to a minimum.

''We have extensive experience in the construction of aluminum ships, so we chose this material because of its low weight, as well as its environmental friendliness, since aluminum can be fully recycled virtually infinitely many, many times. On classic diesel-powered ships, energy isn't a problem, there is too much of it, so not so much attention is paid to its consumption in various marine systems. With an electric boat, however, we had to adjust all the systems, and optimise their operation in order to make them consume as little electricity as possible.

From the pumps, through to the lighting all done with LED technology, to the ventilation, heating and cooling systems, we've reduced consumption wherever possible. And so the Ampere was born, the world's first ferry powered solely by battery electricity. It's a ship with some serious dimensions and capabilities, eighty metres long, which accommodates 120 cars and 350 passengers. Its speed is ten knots, and its maximum speed is fourteen knots. It was launched back in 2014 and has since sailed on the Lavik Oppedal line, with an average of 34 trips a day,'' Tolo noted.

''A large part of electricity in Croatia is produced from hydroelectric power plants, which means that it is produced without emissions of harmful gases, and in an environmentally friendly way. By using electric ferries, the emission of harmful gases is also zero, and noise pollution is reduced, as well as the risk of oil or fuel spills into the sea. In the immediate vicinity of Rijeka you have lines such as Stinica - Misnjak, 3.3 kilometres long, Prizna - Zigljen, three kilometres long or Valbiska - Merag, 6.7 kilometres long, all of which are ideal for using electric ferries on. As technology has advanced and ships of increasing capacity are developing, lines such as Split - Supetar, a little more than 16 kilometres long, are already being considered for the introduction of electric propulsion ships,'' noted Tolo.

The advantage of electric ferries, he points out, lies in the consumption, which in Norway, financially speaking and given the ratio of electricity and diesel, in electric ships is about 15 to 20 percent lower than conventional ships of the same capacity.

''Economically, these ferries are profitable, and that's not to mention the environmental benefits. Their purchase price is about ten percent higher than a comparable diesel-powered boat. So electric ferries certainly have a future, especially in tourist countries like Norway or Croatia, where it's very important to preserve the clean nature for which tourists come,'' said Tolo.

In the meantime, electric propulsion is being developed on other types of ships, and Fjellstrand has been working on a fully electric high-speed catamaran for years now. A prototype, 27 metres long, has already been developed, which can transport 147 passengers, at a speed of as much as 23 knots, with a capacity of about two and a half hours of sailing, Novi list writes.

When asked whether the Croatian side has expressed interest in the procurement, but also the possible construction of electric ferries to the Adriatic, he answered:

''We haven't had official contacts yet, but I believe that this will happen in the future, because it is an environmentally friendly technology,'' concluded Tolo.

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