A small price to pay for energy self-sufficiency?
If Croatia were to invest 13 billion euros in new power plants, Croatia could fully turn to its own renewable energy sources and achieve energy independence, open a large number of new jobs and attract new investments, while at the same time preserving the environment, showed a scientific study which was presented on Thursday by Greenpeace Croatia, reports Poslovni.hr on November 27, 2015.
The study has been prepared by experts from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Green Energy Cooperative, and its goal was to give impetus to the transformation of the Croatian energy sector and to speed up the move from fossil fuels to 100 percent renewable energy sources by mid-century, said Marko Gregović from Greenpeace.
Given that Croatia needs a long-term energy strategy, which should be based on principles of sustainability and energy independence, Greenpeace will send the study to all relevant institutions and political parties which are taking part in negotiations about forming the new government.
The study showed that Croatia can fully turn towards the exploitation of the potential of the sun, wind, water and other natural resources without any economic losses. After investing 13 billion euros in new plants, energy imports would be significantly reduced which would save 4 to 5 billion euros a year, Gregović said.
Edo Jurkić from the Green Energy Cooperative claims that the impact on GDP growth would be fourfold compared to the increase in the price of the energy system, and 65,000 new jobs would be created. At the same time, emissions of carbon dioxide would be reduced by 1.9 million tons, and the money saved could be used for other investments and creation of additional jobs.
The analysis shows the benefits of using renewable energy in individual sectors which are of particular interest to Croatia, such as tourism (sustainable hotels, apartments, islands), education (self-sufficient schools) and agriculture (sustainable family farms).
The experience of countries where a “green transformation” took place shows that the development of the energy sector happens through the development of smaller systems, headed by small and medium businesses and individuals, with the least impact on the environment, said Goran Krajačić from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. He pointed out that renewable energy plants are particularly suitable for less developed regions, such as the islands and Slavonia.
Greenpeace also claims that Croatia, if it wants to remain a tourist country, must abandon projects like Plomin C and drilling in the Adriatic Sea, and turn towards its natural resources.
