On the challenges in further developing the energy and affirmation potential that Croatia possesses, spoke on Friday in Medulin, Minister of Environment and Energy Tomislav Ćorić, at Lider’s conference ‘Greenfield Investments – How Dreams Become Reality’.
He stated that the main challenges of energy policy are to reduce dependence on energy imports by stopping the decline of domestic production, investing in energy production from the potentials that Croatia has, and ensuring an adequate energy mix with lower CO2 emissions.
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– I believe that the energy sector can significantly contribute to the overall development of Croatia in the next decade, through reducing imports and increasing exports of energy sources and engaging the construction sector in building new infrastructure facilities – said Minister Ćorić. He added that the key is the development of an energy strategy which, he announced, will be completed by the end of 2018.
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Croatia currently imports 40 percent of its electricity, 80 percent of its oil, and 40 percent of its gas, and reducing dependence on imports, Ćorić said, will go in the direction of affirming domestic potential.
– The Law on the Exploration and Exploitation of Hydrocarbons is currently in parliamentary procedure. I believe it will attract foreign investors and initiate activities that have stagnated in that area in recent years. The trend of oil and gas production can be reversed by 2030, considering the reserves we have. By summer, there will be another tender for the exploration of hydrocarbons on land. We can assume large quantities of oil and gas in exploration fields on the continent and potential in the next ten to fifteen years – said Ćorić, adding that with the assumption of new discoveries, the share of domestic oil production in consumption could reach up to 30% by 2030, while the share of domestic gas production in consumption could reach 53% by that year.
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Ćorić also spoke about hydropotential as an uncut gem and said that there are over 60 new small hydropower projects, as well as that we can expect the first works on the large HEP hydropower plant Senj-Kosinj in 2019, which should be one of the most significant energy projects in the last few decades. Ćorić also stated that the production of renewable sources has been significantly affirmed and concluded that further affirmation of all potentials should rest on the protection of nature and the environment.
