HROTE announced a tender for renewable energy worth almost 260 million euros

The Croatian Energy Market Operator (HROTE) has announced a tender for the allocation of support for new projects in the field of renewable energy sources worth 257.2 million euros, with a quota of 607.25 megawatts (MW) for wind farms, solar power plants, and hydroelectric power plants, HROTE announced on Friday.

The tender process consists of a public call published on HROTE’s website and will last for 60 days, after which HROTE will announce a public tender for an additional duration of 15 days during which project holders will be able to participate by submitting bids. The primary criterion for selecting winning bids is the price per megawatt-hour of produced electricity.

The tender is being conducted in accordance with the new State Aid Program for the support system for electricity production from renewable energy sources and high-efficiency cogeneration with a market premium and guaranteed purchase price established by HROTE, with a total value of 286.8 million euros for a total quota of 658.25 MW.

The program focuses on three key measures – the first measure is the allocation of a market premium for installations with an installed capacity greater than one MW, with a total quota of 417.25 MW (wind farms 60MW, solar power plants 350 MW, and hydroelectric power plants 7.25 MW), with a total value of 153 million euros, while the second measure is the allocation of a market premium for installations with an installed capacity of 200kW to 1 MW, or up to 6MW/18 MW for projects owned by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises or renewable energy communities, with a total quota of 190 MW (wind farms 90MW and solar power plants 100 MW), with a total value of 104.2 million euros.

The third measure is the allocation of a guaranteed purchase price for installations with an installed capacity of 50 kilowatts (kW) to 200 kW, with a total quota of 51 MW (solar power plants 50 MW and hydroelectric power plants 1 MW), with a total value of 29.6 million euros.

The State Aid Program, according to HROTE, has been created in accordance with the highest European standards and regulations, including Regulation 651/2014 (GBER – General Block Exemption Regulation), as well as national legislation regulating the area of state aid and electricity production from renewable sources.

The announced tender relates to the allocation of a market premium for Measure 1 and Measure 2 of the Program, after which they announce the publication of a tender for Measure 3, i.e., for encouraging projects with a guaranteed purchase price.

HROTE’s Director Darjan Budimir emphasizes that the Energy Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia until 2030, with a view to 2050, defines developmental energy projects aimed at ensuring the energy independence of the Republic of Croatia, with a special emphasis on strengthening energy production from renewable sources and the competitiveness of the energy system, all with the goal of reducing consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, sustainability of energy development, and strengthening a positive investment environment.

– HROTE has so far concluded 1650 contracts through the support system, enabling the development of over 1500 MW of renewable energy projects. The goal of these measures is to continue actively promoting the implementation of sustainable solutions and thereby encourage a green future for Croatia – said Budimir.