Dispatch from Croatia | June 2025

*** For a bird's-eye view of the country's climate-friendly transition, read the 'Guide to Croatia'.***

Stories to watch in the weeks ahead

• Hydrogen Station Grants. The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development has launched a public consultation on a new call for grants aimed at building hydrogen refuelling stations for road transport. Through this call, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, 15 million euros was set aside for the construction of six stations that will serve passenger cars, buses, and heavy vehicles. The public consultation ended on 25 June. All refuelling stations must be built and operational no later than the end of June 2026.

• HERA Board Debate. In mid-June, the Croatian Parliament debated candidates for two vacant positions on the Management Board of the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency (HERA), after the government proposed seven candidates who met the formal requirements of the public call. The ruling majority highlighted that the candidates were qualified experts, while the opposition warned that some of them were associated with periods marked by major scandals in the energy sector (such as the “Gas for a Cent” controversy, involving the illegal resale of gas purchased from Croatia’s national oil and gas company INA at low prices and sold at several times higher than market prices). Opponents also pointed to two negative reports by the state audit office on HERA’s operations.

The latest from Croatia - last month in recap

• Local Election Results. Local elections were held across the country, where citizens voted for new mayors, city councils, county prefects, and county councils in two rounds of voting. In some areas, the elected representatives were already known after the first round of voting as they secured more than 50 percent of the vote. In other areas, a second round was needed on 1 June to determine the final results. Among the cities where a second round took place was the capital, Zagreb, where Tomislav Tomašević, of the green-left platform Možemo, was re-elected as mayor of Zagreb with nearly 58 percent of the vote. Following his victory, Tomašević addressed the issues of waste management and traffic. He announced that a request had been submitted for a location permit for the construction of a waste management centre in Resnik, an important step towards resolving Zagreb’s landfill problem. He also revealed that, by the end of June, a location permit would be issued for a three-level underground public garage aimed at reducing the influx of vehicles into the city’s central area.

• Greenpeace Energy Study. Greenpeace Croatia marked World Environment Day on 5 June by presenting a study in Zagreb titled “100% Renewable by 2030 – A Plan for the Green Transition of Croatia’s Power Sector”. The study shows that the ambitious goal of Croatia sourcing all its electricity from renewables by 2030 is entirely achievable, primarily by turning to solar and wind energy and investing in the transmission grid. Solar power capacity would increase to 5 GW, while wind power would reach a total of 4.2 GW. The plan also reflects a modest increase in hydropower capacity, the largest renewable power source in the country, from 2,200 MW in 2019 to 2,393 MW by 2030. The main recommendations highlight the need for a strong political decision to achieve these goals, including improvements to the power system, expansion and strengthening of the grid, and securing energy storage.

• Croatia ratified the Global Oceans Treaty. In June, just ahead of World Oceans Day, Croatia ratified the Agreement on the High Seas. By doing so, it became the 33rd country to join this global effort to protect marine ecosystems and preserve the oceans. Greenpeace Croatia welcomed the ratification but also emphasised that implementation is now the most important step. The group also called for support of a moratorium on deep-sea mining, which increasingly poses a threat to underwater ecosystems.

• RES Days Conference. RES Days 2025 conference was held in the city of Split in early June, bringing together experts, public representatives, investors, and entrepreneurs to discuss key challenges and solutions for accelerating the green transition in Croatia and the wider region. The conference highlighted that through spatial planning, permitting processes, and community acceptance, the local level plays a decisive role in achieving green transition goals. Over three days, participants explored how to better integrate renewable energy into spatial planning, develop battery storage systems, adapt the legislative framework, and remove administrative barriers.

• Rooftop Solar Support. The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, a state-owned fund that finances energy transition projects, launched a public call for co-financing rooftop solar power plants for self-consumption on existing family homes or auxiliary buildings. Eligible applicants are private citizens who own the house and live in it at the time the system is commissioned. The solar modules must have at least 18% efficiency. Applications opened on 6 June and will be accepted until the end of the year or until funds are exhausted.

• Dugopolje Solar Plant. The Dugopolje Solar Power Plant, consisting of a total of 23,452 photovoltaic modules and a nominal capacity of 10 MW, was connected to the electricity grid.

• EU Urges Renewables. The European Commission advised Croatia to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, especially solar power. The EC also urged the country to adopt non-fossil flexibility solutions to help lower electricity prices for businesses, which according to Commission figures were the third highest in the EU in the first half of 2024. Despite record growth in solar capacity in 2024, its share in electricity generation of less than six percent remains low, partly due to regulatory uncertainty and delays in updating grid connection fees. The Commission highlighted that greater investments in the electricity grid, alongside incentives for hybrid storage and renewable projects, are essential for improving competitiveness and boosting renewables.

Katarina's picks - reading recommendations

• Nature Restoration Platform. At the beginning of June, the platform Hrvatska divlja (hrvatskadivlja.hr) was launched. It is dedicated to strengthening biodiversity and sustainability through the practice of rewilding. The platform provides an overview of endangered and protected species in Croatia, their distribution and characteristics, and serves as a source of expert information and a starting point for encouraging sustainable activities in both rural and urban areas.