Croatia has a huge potential and has already achieved some results, however, expectations are high. The representatives of the Renewable Energy Association of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (OIE HGK) held a meeting with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, at which they stressed that there is a discrepancy between the proclaimed goals of increasing the share of RES in total energy production and the actual situation. President of the OIE HGK Association Ivo Covic saud that although Croatia opted for a larger share of RES and the transition to a low-carbon economy in the adopted strategies, it has not done enough to remove numerous administrative obstacles.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2019, a total of 3,486.1 TWh of electricity was produced in Europe, of which 442 TWh was produced in wind farms (12.7 %). For comparison, the share of hydropower is 17 %, solar power plants produced 4.1 %, and most of the electricity produced comes from gas-fired power plants (20.3 %). Last year, a total of 12,120 GWh of electricity was produced In Croatia, of which 1,433 GWh (11.8 %) in wind farms. The largest share in production is held by hydropower plants (5858 GWh or 48.3 %). Croatia has 28 wind farms with a total capacity of 738 MW, of which 26 wind farms are in the system of feed-in tariffs (718 MW), while two wind farms are on the free market (their twelve-year contracts have expired). In accordance with the current legislation, the total quota of all wind farms which will enter the support scheme in the coming period is 1050 MW. Head of the Wind Energy Group of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and General Manager of RP Global Bojan Rescec emphasizes that investors need a stable legal framework and clear rules which are equal for all. Investors want to invest in Croatia in the long run, but we do not want to be called out because they want to return the investment. He said that both wind and solar can be profitable even at market prices, adding that by 2024 RP Global plans to install about 200 MW in new wind farms, with the expansion of existing Danilo and Rudine wind farms. General Manager of Wpd Adria Zoran Obradovic said that the company is developing wind farms in Krmpote, Plavno and Vucipolje in Croatia, with total installed capacity of 350 MW. The company also has solar projectsof 50 MW, and the experience gained in the Croatian market has enabled it regional engagement, so it also has wind projects in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Macedonia. He noted that the state can provide security to investors ,liquidity and good organization of the energy market, which would ensure the attractiveness of RES projects to investors, without subsidized prices higher than market prices. By using the potential of renewable energy sources, Croatia can become energy independent and even an exporter of electricity, without burdening the end users – citizens and the economy, Obradovic concluded.
