"Owing to its geographic position and abundance of water, sun and wind, Croatia could become a leader in green energy production and an energy hub in this part of Europe, a conference heard in Zagreb," state agency Hina said on Wednesday, without clarifying who said this.

Speaking at the conference, organised by the European Investment Bank (EIB), Croatia’s Economy Minister, Davor Filipovic, said that with the help of money from the REPowerEU plan, Croatia would double the capacity of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the island of Krk, expand the gas pipeline network operated by the state-owned company Plinacro, and “additionally boost” the capacity of the state-owned Janaf oil pipeline.

Hina did not say how much funding is Croatia expected to get from the REPowerEU scheme.

“Boosting the capacity of the LNG terminal and the gas pipeline leading to Slovenia and Hungary will make it possible to supply those countries with energy products, Filipovic said, adding that Janaf’s capacity could be doubled.

He said that the EC’s REPowerEU plan was geared towards ending Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030. The European Commission’s plans also include “joint gas procurement, the filling of gas storage facilities at European level, implementation of renewables projects and improvement of infrastructure connectivity across Europe,” he said.

More than €2.2 bn for greener Croatia

Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds, Natasa Tramisak, said that more than 30 percent of funding from the European Regional Development Fund had been made available “for an energy-wise greener Croatia” in the period until 2027.

“This amounts to more than €2.2 billion, and if other sources of financing are added to it, the amount rises to more than €2.5 billion,” she said.

The head of the European Investment Bank bureau in Zagreb, Anton Kovacev, said that growing energy prices were strongly affecting the European economy and that the EIB Group had a major role in ensuring a strong and healthy economic recovery of European countries, with an emphasis on green projects.

“It is good that Croatia has enough water, wind and sun energy, and they should be used,” he said.

The head of the European Commission Representation in Croatia, Ognian Zlatev, said that energy was the most talked-about topic today.

“The world we live in is dangerous, with Russia having weaponised energy…  All European countries, including Croatia, should save energy,” he said, noting that there should also be more investments in energy efficient buildings, electric cars, etc.

EIB vice-president Tereza Czerwinska said that the Ukraine-Russia war had “swept over the European landscape,” causing all possible kinds of crisis – from personal to energy. “Europe is making effort to reduce dependence on Russian energy and seeking ways to find an alternative… More should be invested in energy efficiency, and it will also be crucial to invest in high-risk projects and innovations regarding new technologies,” Czerwinska stressed.