Government Adopts National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency until 2024

The government has adopted the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency for the period from 2022 to 2024, which, according to the assessment of the relevant minister Davor Filipović, is extremely important in the context of responding to the current energy crisis and European efforts to reduce dependence on Russian gas.

This national plan is being adopted based on the Energy Efficiency Act and contains an overview and assessment of the state and needs of energy consumption in the Republic of Croatia, as well as a review of long-term goals in the field of energy efficiency and other measures for the implementation of energy efficiency policy, explained Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Davor Filipović at the government session.

– The backbone of this plan is to ensure financial incentives for the energy renovation of buildings, especially residential ones, both from European sources and from the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund – said Filipović.

The National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency for the period from 2022 to 2024, as stated in the government document, will be co-financed and implemented from the funds of the European Structural and Investment Funds for the new financial period 2021-2027 and from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026, as well as from various financial institutions.

It is also noted that in the period from 2014 to 2020, a decrease in primary energy consumption was observed in Croatia, but also a constant increase in final energy consumption, and this trend is explained by the penetration of renewable energy sources and the improvement of efficiency in production/energy transformation facilities, while in direct consumption, the effect of implementing energy efficiency measures could not neutralize the impact of economic trends and the increase in overall consumption.

The national framework goal for improving energy efficiency in the period from 2014 to 2020, expressed in absolute values of primary energy consumption (448.5 PJ) and direct (final) consumption (291.3 PJ) in 2020, has been achieved. Croatia achieved an 18.7 percent reduction in primary energy consumption (364.6 PJ) in 2020, or a 7.5 percent reduction in direct energy consumption (269.5 PJ) compared to the target.

However, it should also be taken into account that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected energy consumption in 2020, especially in the segment of direct energy consumption.

– The targeted value of cumulative savings for the period from 2014 to 2020 was 54.250 PJ, and this goal was not achieved as the established cumulative savings in the considered period amount to 38.94 PJ or 73.62 percent of the set target – states the government document.

In addition to measures aimed at specific sectors and segments of energy consumption, the National Action Plan also anticipates the continuation of the implementation of supportive measures, such as obligations for energy efficiency planning at the local and regional level, energy audits, energy certification of buildings, and the promotion of energy services, among others.