08.02.2024.
Director of the Fund Luka Balen presented the Fund’s programmes for the co-financing of renewable energy projects at the conference on energy organised by the daily Jutarnji list.The conference, attended by the principal stakeholders in the Croatian energy sector, was opened by Damir Habijan, the minister of economy and sustainable development. Minister Habijan believes that Croatia has become the energy hub of this part of Europe owing to the construction and extension of the LNG terminal on Krk island. “We have expedited a number of projects and processes aimed at diversification of energy sources, with a focus on creating the conditions for the exploitation of geothermal sources. As far as solar power plants are concerned, we have provided substantial resources from the Modernisation Fund for the companies that want to install them and reduce their energy costs. Very soon the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund will start a new call for the energy renovation of family houses, for which 120 million euros are available,” announced the minister, pointing out that the goal was to ensure Croatia’s energy self-sufficiency.
In the panel entitled “Green energy and technological challenges of the future”, director Balen announced that the Fund was continuing will all programmes aimed at speeding up Croatia’s green transition. He said that along with the scheme for the energy renovation of family houses, grants for the citizens for the purchase of energy efficient vehicles would start soon, and that the programme of installation of PV power plants in households would also continue.
"Just as companies have recognised that green transition offers the opportunity to reduce their business costs, citizens have recognised that energy from renewable sources, especially solar energy, could provide them supply stability, lower overheads and energy independence. Consequently, more and more Croatian citizens are thinking about energy independence, and the never higher incentives that the state grants through the Fund have speeded up the decision to start producing electricity for their own needs. This is corroborated by the figures, so last year almost three times more solar power plants were installed than in all the years before that," said Balen. He also added that in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the allocation of funds from the Modernisation Fund had started. From this source, companies have so far been granted about 43m euros for 162 renewable electricity generation projects, and by the end of the year another 200m euros will be available to them.
Apart from director Balen, other panellists included Marijan Krpan, president of the Management Board of the Hydrocarbon Agency, Maja Pokrovac, director of the economic-interest association Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia, Marija Šćulac, director of Industry and Sustainable Development Sector at Croatian Chamber of Economy, and Hrvoje Galičić, advisor at the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The conference was attended by numerous stakeholders from the domestic energy sector, including CEOs of the largest energy companies in Croatia. In a series of discussions and lectures, they analysed the current moment in the transition of our economy from fossil fuels to energy from renewable sources, the estimates of further dynamics and transition in the short- and long term, as well as technological changes brought about by the green transition.
