INA, a leading Croatian oil and gas company, has signed two contracts for renewable energy projects - one for the construction of a "green" hydrogen plant at the Rijeka refinery and the other for a biomethane production plant in Sisak.

“The total value of these two new strategic projects, which will strengthen the company’s renewable energy project portfolio, amounts to 98 million euros,” said the Zagreb-based company.

“The construction of both plants is expected to be completed in 2026. The first project is the installation of a 10 MW electrolyser for the production of ‘green’ hydrogen at the Rijeka Refinery, coupled with a solar power plant that will partially supply the production unit with electricity.”

INA becomes first producer of green hydrogen in Croatia

With the production of “green” hydrogen intended for use in the transport sector, INA will be the first producer of commercial “green” hydrogen in Croatia.

A contract for the supply of key equipment has been signed with the local company IVICOM Consulting.

The second project relates to the industrial site in Sisak, where INA plans to build a plant for the production of biomethane, which could be fed into the Croatian gas grid, while the residues from production could be used as environmentally friendly fertiliser.

A “turnkey” contract was signed with Biogest, the international manufacturer of biomethane and biogas plants based in Austria, for the planning, procurement and construction of a biomethane plant.

In addition to these two announced projects, INA also plans to invest in many other sustainable projects by allocating up to 20 per cent of the investment budget for 2025 to all renewable energy projects.

The “green” hydrogen project, together with the solar plant and logistics capacity, will be co-financed through the Croatian Recovery and Resilience Facility. INA will also apply for the same fund for the Sisak biomethane project as soon as the public tender for the financing is announced.