Perspectives of renewable energy use in Croatia

The current share of renewable energy sources in electricity production in Croatia is very high, around 50%. Nevertheless it must be expected that the share of renewables will have to rise and efficient strategies must be examined and adopted. Croatian government has recognised the important role renewable energy sources could play in Croatian energy and electricity supply. The most important barrier for a wider deployment of renewables in energy production is their cost which is still above costs of conventional energy sources. As energy market is currently undergoing the process of liberalisation, support mechanisms that are compatible with open market philosophy must be adopted. In the article, characteristics of the Croatian power system, the expected consumption growth and possible future role of renewables in energy and electricity production has been presented. The current legislative framework relevant for renewables has been analysed and discussed.