23.04.2026.
A grant agreement was signed at the Ministry of Economy for the project "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage", under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021 - 2026.The contract was signed by the Minister of Economy, Ante Šušnjar, the president of the Board of the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency, Marijan Krpan, and the director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, Luka Balen.
The project is implemented as part of the investment "Use of Hydrogen and New Technologies", with the total value of the grant EUR 2,673,668.62, with a 100 percent rate of co-financing.
The aim of the project is to determine the potential for geological storage of carbon dioxide on land and sea in the Republic of Croatia, creating preconditions for the development of new technologies and strengthening the resilience of the energy system.
The project includes the creation of an Atlas of deep saline aquifers and geological structures suitable for permanent CO₂ disposal, the preparation of a Pre-FEED study for the Bockovac site, the procurement of a software package for the design of the CCS system, and promotion and visibility activities.
Minister Šušnjar emphasised the importance of the project for further development of the energy sector: "With this project, Croatia ranks among regional leaders in the development of solutions for managing carbon dioxide emissions. The use of European funds accelerates the construction of capacities important for industry and energy and creates opportunities for new investments. The development of such projects strengthens the competitiveness of the economy and further positions Croatia as a relevant partner in the European energy transition."
President of the Management Board of the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency Marijan Krpan emphasised the key expert aspects of the project: "The signing of the grant agreement financed from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan is of the utmost importance for the Republic of Croatia because it will facilitate the creation of an Atlas of geological structures suitable for permanent storage of CO₂ and a Pre-FEED study at the Bockovac site, the expert base documents for reducing CO₂ emissions and achieving climate neutrality, especially in industries that do not have alternative solutions for decarbonisation." He pointed out that the project confirms the role of the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency in the decarbonisation of heavy industry and that the Atlas will serve as a basis for future CCS projects, including the strategic project GT CCS, which includes the development of transport infrastructure, storage capacities, and the use of geothermal energy. He added that the project contributed to the fulfilment of national and European climate goals ensuring compliance with European policies, while strengthening Croatia's role in the development of solutions for sustainable CO₂ management.
Director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund Luka Balen emphasised the importance of developing expert base documents for future decision-making: "The drawing up of an atlas of geological structures suitable for permanent storage of CO₂, and feasibility studies at the site Bockovac, will enable informed decisions to be made on future investments and the development of decarbonisation infrastructure. This opens up space for the application of advanced solutions in reducing GHG emissions, at the same time strengthens the role of Croatia as an active participant in the development of innovative technologies in the field of environmental protection."
