ZAGREB, January 30, 2018 – Croatia could generate up to 30 GW of energy from solar and wind sources, three times more than currently, and this, combined with hydro-power and the country’s good geographical position, could make Croatia become an energy hub for Southeast Europe, European Commission Vice President in charge of Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič said in Zagreb on Tuesday.
Addressing a conference on Croatia’s new energy strategy held at the Faculty of Economics, the Commissioner said that in the event that it made use of its solar and energy sources, plus its hydro-power and its favourable geographical position, Croatia could turn from an electricity importer to an energy hub for Southeast Europe.
Commenting on the future LNG terminal off the island of Krk, Šefčovič said that it would be an important project not only for Croatia but also for the energy security of the whole European Union, enabling delivery of gas supplies in all directions and boosting competitiveness on the market as well a price drop.
In this context, Šefčovič mentioned that Klaipeda liquefied natural gas floating storage and regasification unit terminal in Lithuania had paved the way for a 20%-30% decline in gas price. The Lithuanian terminal was opened in 2014.
The golden rule of energy security is diversification of supply, he said, calling on the countries in the region to improve their energy interconnections and to provide gas supplies from at least three sources.
Asked by participants in the conference why Croatia had to purchase the floating terminal instead of just renting it, the Commissioner explained that the EU financial assistance could be allocated for that purpose only if the country that applied for the assistance was the owner of the terminal.
Last December, the EU set a budget of 101.4 million euro for the Krk LNG terminal, and an additional 16 million euro recently for the gas pipeline that would be connected to it.
Asked how the European Union planned to reduce its dependence on imported energy from Russia, with regard to the fact that Europe imported over 50% of energy it needed, Šefčovič said that the Union was encouraging the development of a new supply route from the Caspian region, and that it should be put into operation by 2020.
Likewise, the EU encourages the construction of new LNG terminals like those in Lithuania and Poland and improved interconnections for energy supply, he added.
