The energy sector of Croatia comprises the nation's total energy and electricity production, consumption and import. The majority of energy is generated through hydropower, with the highest quantity of water resources per capita in the European Union (30,000 m3). The country satisfies its domestic electricity needs largely from hydro and thermal power plants. Croatia has strategic investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG), geothermal networks, and electric transport.
, Croatia imports 54% of its energy, including the majority its natural gas, oil, petroleum, and solid fossil fuels. In addition to hydropower, renewable energy is derived from solar, wind, and geothermal power. Its expansion of LNG capacity has materially enhanced energy independence for Croatia and Southeast Europe. It operates the Krško nuclear power plant alongside neighboring Slovenia in a joint venture to supply nuclear power to the region.
Electricity Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP) is the national energy company charged with production, transmission and distribution of electricity. Production
At the end of 2022, the total available power of power plants on the territory of the Republic of Croatia was 4,946.8 MW, of which 1,534.6 MW in thermal power plants, 2,203.4 MW in hydropower plants, 986.9 MW in wind power plants and 222.0 MW in solar power plants. For the needs of the electric power system of the Republic of Croatia, 348 MW from NPP Krško is also used (ie. 50% of the total available power of the power plant in accordance with the ownership shares).
The total production of electricity in the Republic of Croatia in 2022 was 14,220.5 GWh, whereby 63.7 percent (9,064.9 GWh) was produced from renewable energy sources, including large hydropower plants. In this percentage, large hydropower plants participated with 38.4 percent (5,454.2 GWh), and 25.4 percent (3,610.8 GWh) of electricity was produced from other renewable sources (wind energy, small hydropower plants, biomass, geothermal energy, biogas and photovoltaic systems). Domestic electricity production covered 75.2 percent (14,220.5 GWh) of electricity needs, which in 2022 amounted to 18,915.3 GWh. The import of electricity in 2022 amounted to 11,919.7 GWh, which is 63.0 percent of the total realized consumption. The export of electricity amounted to 7,224.9 GWh, which is 50.8 percent of the total domestic electricity production (14,220.5 GWh).
Hydropower Croatia has 28 hydropower plants of which 2 are reversible, 2 small size and 1 pumped storage. They are distributed in three production areas: North, West and South with one independent plant, and are HEP's most important source of renewable energy.
Hydropower plants Name Plum Production capacity (MW) Commissioned HE Varaždin Drava 94.635 1975 HE Čakovec 77.44 1982 HE Dubrava 79.78 1989 HE Rijeka Rječina 36.80 1968 HE Vinodolarea of Gorski Kotar 90.00 1952 CHE Fužine 4.50/-6.50 1957 RHE Lepenica 0.80/-1.20 1985 HE Zeleni Vir Kupa 1.70 1921 HE Senj Lika and Gacka 216.00 1965HE Senj 2412.00planned HE Sklope Lika 22.50 1970 HE Gojak Ogulinska Dobra and Zagorska Mrežnica 56.00 1954 HE Lešće Donja Dobra 42.29 2010 HE Ozalj 1 Kupa 3.54 1908 HE Ozalj 2 2.20 1952 RHE Velebit Zrmanja 276.00/-240.00 1984 HE MiljackaKrka 20.00 1906 MHE Krčić 0.375 1988 HE Golubić 6.54 1981 HE Jaruga 7.20 1903 HE Peruća Cetina 60.00 1960 HE Orlovac Livanjsko Polje 237.00 1973 HE Đale Cetina 40.80 1989 HE Zakučac 538.00 1961 MHE Prančevići 1.15 2017 HE Kraljevac 46.4 1912 HE Dubrovnik Trebišnjica 126.00 1965 HE Zavrelje Zavrelje 2.00 1953
Wind energy Most of Croatian wind energy is produced by companies in private ownership for difference of other types of energy production. Out of 25 wind firms only one is owned by HEP (VE Korlat) while others are mainly owned by private companies or foreign energy corporations. Wind farmConnection voltage (kV) Production capacity(MW) Commissioned VE Senj 220 156 2024 VE Krš-Pađene 220 142 2021 VE ZD2P & ZD3P1101112023VE Vučipolje 1 TBA84(planned)VE Bradarića Kosa11080(planned) VE Korlat 110 58 2021 VE VisokaTBA562024 (planned) VE Velika Popina (Zadar 6) 110 53.4 2011 VE Lukovac 110 48 2017 VE Boraja 2TBA452024 (planned) VE Danilo (Velika Glava) 110 43 2014 VE Vrataruša 110 42 2010 VE Zelengrad 110 42 2014 VE Ogorje 110 42 2015 VE Kamensko-Voštane 110 40 2013 VE Bruška 110 36 2011 VE Rudine 110 34.2 2015 VE Katuni 110 34.2 2016 VE Ponikve 110 34 2012 VE Jelinak 110 30 2013 VE ZelovoTBA302024 (planned)VE Ljubač3529.92022VE OporTBA272024 (planned) VE Glunča 110 20.7 2016 VE Pometeno brdo 110 20 2015 VE Mazin 2TBA202024 (under construction) VE Trtar-Krtolin 30 11.2 2007 VE Jasenice 35 10 2020 VE Crno brdo 10 10 2011 VE Kom-Orjak-Greda35102020 VE Orlice 30 9.6 2009 VE Zadar 4 10 9.2 2013 VE Ravne 10 5.95 2004
Thermal energy There are 7 thermal power plants of which 4 are also heating plants and one is combined cycle power plant. Additionally, the first geothermal power plant was opened in 2019, but there are projects and potential for new ones. Thermal power plants Name Fuel Production capacity (MW) Commissioned TE Plomin Stone coal 199.00 1970 TE Rijeka Fuel oil 303.00 1978 KTE Jertovec Natural gas and extra light fuel oil 78.00 1954 TE-TO Zagreb Natural gas and gas oil 300.00 1962 EL-TO Zagreb Natural gas and fuel oil 50.00 1907 TE-TO Osijek Natural gas and fuel oil 89.00 1985 TE-TO Sisak Natural gas and fuel oil 228.73 1970 GTE Velika 1 Geothermal energy 16.50 2019
Bioenergy Five biopower plants are now located in Croatia and they are also used for heating purposes. Biopower plants Name Fuel Production capacity (MW) Commissioned BE-TO Osijek Woody biomass 3.00 2017 BE-TO Sisak Woody biomass 3.00 2017 BE-TO Glina Woody biomass 5.00 2015 BE-TO Karlovac Woody biomass 5.00 2020 BE-TO Brinje Woody biomass 5.00 2022
Nuclear energy Croatia has no nuclear power plants on its territory, but co-owns the Krško Nuclear Power Plant together with Slovenia. The Krško plant was built in the era of Yugoslavia on the territory of present-day Slovenia. Planned decommissioning is by 2043. Nuclear power plants Name Fuel Production capacity (MW) Commissioned NE Krško Enriched uranium 348.00 1983
Solar energy In 2014, HEP built nine solar power plants on the roofs of business buildings. The power plants are located in the office building at the headquarters of HEP in Zagreb and the buildings of the HEP Distribution System Operator. Solar power plants have the status of a privileged producer of electricity, which enables the sale of produced electricity to HROTE at a preferential price. Since 2018, Hrvatska elektroprivreda has started building integrated solar power plants according to the concept of a customer with its own production. This model enables a significant reduction in costs for own consumption of electricity. Most of the produced energy is consumed in the buildings themselves, while the rest of the energy is delivered to the distribution network. HEP's first non-integrated power plant was SE Kaštelir, purchased in 2019 from a private producer, and the first independently built was SE Vis, commissioned in 2020. Solar power plants Name Production capacity (MW) Commissioned SE Kaštelir 1 1.00 2018SE Kaštelir 22.002021SE Vis3.502020SE Marići1.002021SE Kosore jug (Vrlika)2.102021SE Stankovci2.502022SE Obrovac7.352022SE Donja Dubrava9.992023SE Radosavci9.99under constructionSE Jambrek4.992024SE Cres6.50under constructionSE Črnkovci8.50under constructionSE Dugopolje10.00under constructionSE Cres6.50under constructionSE Virje9.002023SE Lipik5.00plannedSE Sisak2.65under constructionSE Pometeno brdo80.00plannedSE Topusko13.00plannedSE Promina150.00plannedSE Korlat99.00planned9 integrated SPP of privileged producers0.212014–present56 integrated SPP in the status of customer with own production2.5752018–present
Transmission Croatian transmission grid consists of lines on three different rated voltage levels, namely 400, 220 and 110 kV. Total length of high-voltage lines is while length of medium and low voltage lines is . The grid was often the target of attacks during Croatian War of Independence, resulting in frequent black-outs during the period. Since then, the grid has been repaired, and reconnected to synchronous grid of Continental Europe synchronous zones 1 and 2, making it an important transit system again.http://www.hep.hr/ops/en/hees/default.aspx HEP Croatian power system
Distribution Under the 2004 Energy law, customers in Croatia are allowed to choose their preferred distributor of electricity. However, HEP Operator distribucijskog sustava or HEP-ODS (a Hrvatska elektroprivreda subsidiary) remains the largest distributor to both industry and households. Its distribution grid is long, with 26 859 transformers installed, totaling 23,421 MVA of power. In 2022 there were 2,133,522 customers, 95.8% of which were households.
Development projects
Hydropower
With the implementation of the project HE Senj 2, HEP intends to use the remaining hydro potential in the Lika and Gacka basins by upgrading the existing hydropower system. The project involves the construction of a large reservoir and additional capacity in order to transfer production to the top of the daily chart. This will enable the capacity to inject high regulatory power into the power system with flexible hydro units ready for rapid power change. The construction of the hydroelectric power plant will cost 3.4 billion kuna and will have an installed capacity of 412 MW, while the construction deadline is 2028.
Wind energy In 2023, Croatia had capacity of 1143 MW of Wind energy. In July 2022, the Spanish company Acciona Energia announced an investment of one hundred million euros in the construction of two wind farms. One will be built in the vicinity of Split, and the other between Šibenik and Knin and will contain 16 wind turbines with a production of 203 GWh of clean electricity per year. The projects named Opor and Boraja 2 will be sufficient to supply 60 thousand households, and the propellers will start spinning at these locations in 2024, after a year and a half of construction and testing. This will avoid the annual emission of 135,000 tons of . In 2013, the same company built the Jelinak wind park worth 48 million euros.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will grant a loan of EUR 43 million to the company Kunovac, jointly owned by the funds Taaleri Energia SolarWind II and ENCRO Kunovac, for the construction and operation of two onshore wind farms in the Zadar region. Zagrebačka banka and Croatian bank for reconstruction and development will participate in the financing with a total loan amount of 126 million euros, and the total network capacity of the two power plants is 111 megawatts, which is enough to power 85,000 households. In January 2023, the Greek energy company EuroEnergy announced that it was taking over the 114 MW wind farm project in Lika-Senj County. The acquisition reserves the right to expand with an additional 70.5 MW of wind capacity, subject to grid upgrades that can increase production. The value of the project is EUR 150 million and will be realized in the area of Udbina.