November the 4th, 2024 – Croatian electricity imports still leave plenty to be desired if the country is going to successfully lower its reliance on foreign sources.
As Borivoje Dokler/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, look at the summer period from June to August 2024, Croatian electricity imports paint a concerning picture. In short, the country had an extreme dependence on electricity imports, with the total import amounting to 1,316 GWh (24.8%).
croatian electricity imports highlight the need for further development
This high level of imported electricity highlights the urgent need for the development and implementation of domestic renewable energy sources. This must be done in order to successfully increase Croatia’s overall energy independence and reduce dependence on external sources, according to the Association Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia (OIEH).
When the market value of imported energy (135 million euros) is added up with the market value of CO2 emissions for fossil fuel thermal power plants (44 million euros) and the market price of imported raw materials for the same (110 million euros), the amount of 289 million euros is reached. That is the staggeringly high sum Croatia paid out. this summer.
This amount would be sufficient for the construction of a key domestic network infrastructure that could receive the necessary capacities of renewable energy, according to OIEH. Their latest report on electricity trends for the period June-August 2024 showcases the level of Croatian electricity imports. It also highlights the extremely high consumption of electricity nationwide, as well as the set historic records on a monthly basis. This was mostly due to horrifically high temperatures this summer, and the intensity of the height of the tourist season.
“On some days, Croatia’s consumption exceeded 70,000 MWh per day (the average was 58,122 MWh for the entire summer period). During the month of July, for every degree Celsius above the average, daily consumption increased by 1,750 MWh. According to an estimate, about 1,200 MW of air conditioning and other cooling devices have been installed across Croatia”, they stated from the OIEH. This poses the question of whether or not the country will finally use the potential of domestic renewable sources after Croatian electricity imports reached 24.8 percent during the summer 2024?
once again, bureaucracy stands in the way of solving this burning issue…
“Croatian electricity imports over the observed period corresponds to the additional production of solar power plants of 2721 MW. The country needs to build them as soon as possible in order to cover this shortfall in the summer period, and reduce imports all the way to zero. We’ve already pointed out that currently, the biggest obstacle for the development of renewable energy projects in Croatia is the fact that HERA (Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency) hasn’t yet made a decision on the amount of fees for connection to the grid, although it was obliged to do so almost two years ago.
As a direct result of this delay, 45 projects with a total capacity of 2,648 MW remain pending. The ministry has already issued energy approvals for them, but yet they still can’t be realised”, they warned from the OIEH.
Their report also stated that on August the 12th, 2024, Croatia recorded the highest production of solar energy ever in one single day. This was because the ultra clear skies increased radiation owing to a high pressure system over Croatia. There was also an unusually dry atmosphere across the entire region. Production from solar power plants amounted to 4,012 MWh on just that day, which covered 6.5 percent of Croatia’s total consumption.
