The island of Krk plans to become the first energy-independent part of Croatia by 2030, without carbon dioxide emissions and fully obtaining energy from renewable sources.
In this endeavor, well-informed sources reveal, large global energy companies will assist. So far, two companies are interested, and reportedly a third has also expressed interest. At this moment, it is not possible to ascertain the specific names of the companies, other than that they are considering taking Krk as their pilot project ‘Smart Island’ and that negotiations are ongoing.
– Large companies are trying to create autonomous energy systems, and islands are the most logical choice. The concept can later be applied to cities. All reasonable countries are working on the transition to a post-fossil society, and in Croatia, only the island of Krk is doing this – emphasizes Vjeran Piršić, president of the Eko Kvarner association and co-founder of the energy cooperative Otok Krk, which envisions its island as energy self-sufficient, where the population lives in energy-efficient settlements, buildings produce energy, water is collected, recycled, and used rationally, and organic waste is composted and energetically utilized.
If everything goes as planned, by the end of the year, Krk should join major global pilot projects of independent islands, such as the completely energy self-sufficient Danish island of Samsø, the Scottish Eigg, or the Canary El Hierro.
