The minister of environment and green transition, Marija Vuković, and the director of the Fund, Luka Balen, officially presented 46 grant agreements to Croatian entrepreneurs for projects for the production of electricity from renewable sources in the manufacturing and heating industry, as well as investments in energy efficiency measures. A total of 30 million euros will be available to them from the Modernisation Fund.
These contracts, as director Balen said, are a driving force for entrepreneurs in their business and contribute to the production of energy from renewable sources and green transition. "Energy independence and sustainable economic development are among the priorities of the Croatian Government’s policy, which it implements through its line bodies," said Balen. Minister Vučković mentioned that the 46 contracts that were awarded in grants amounting to 30 million euros would finance projects worth more than 87 million euros. Although these are initially large investments, they are very profitable in the long run and this investment impulse will facilitate the closure of the financial structure for entrepreneurial projects.
Minister Vučković
believes that these projects will bring significant savings when it comes to
the use of electricity and the expected reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
She also expressed hope that all these projects would generate savings to
companies, opportunities to use new technologies, and, in the short term, increased
income.
Given the current price of emission allowances, the resources from the Modernisation Fund available to the Republic of Croatia are estimated at EUR 1.3 billion for the period until 2030, or about EUR 130 million per year. During 2023 and 2024, three calls were invited for funding of approved investment programmes, while allocated resources amounted to 80 million euros for 224 final beneficiaries.
At the grant agreement award ceremony, minister Vučković and director Balen were accompanied by state secretaries Tanja Radić Lakoš and Željko Vuković
