Grant Awarding Ceremony in the scope of the Energy and Climate Change Programme

The Grant Awarding Ceremony for the projects of the “Energy and Climate Change Programme” in the scope of the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area for the period 2014-2021 was held on 24 May 2022 in the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb.

On behalf of the the Programme Operator, the Minister  of Regional Development and European Union Funds Ms. Nataša Tramišak awarded Grant Contracts for projects of the Calls for Project Proposals Increased solar energy production capacity, Increased geothermal energy production capacity and Technical documentation for the geothermal energy.

Based on the relevant Funding Decisons for the first four Calls for Proposals published in the scope of the Programme, including the Call Energy Production from the sea, 35 projects were approved for financing in the total grant amount of 16.890.000 EUR.

The participants were welcomed by H. E. Mr. Haakon Blankenborg, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Croatia and Mr. Mario Šiljeg, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Economy and Sustainable Development.

In her welcome speech, Minister Tramišak emphasized the successful cooperation with the Programme partners from the donor countries as well as experts from Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute as the national partner of the Programme. Minister Tramišak highlighted the relevance of the Programme which significantly increases the financing opportunities for the energy sector in the Republic of Croatia end expressed her hope for the continuation of the cooperation in the scope of the Financial Mechanisms.

Ms. Dunja Mazzocco Drvar, Director of the Directorate for Climate Activities of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, presented the latest information on possible activities on reducing the impact of climate changes in the future based on the relevant national and European legislation and strategies.

The panelists in the discussion on Financial mechanisms for accelerated decarbonization of the energy sector of the Republic of Croatia Ms. Alenka Košiša Čičin-Šain, Acting Director of the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency, Mr. Zvonimir Savić, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister in the field of econmy, Mr. Boris Dokmanović, Director of the Sector for Renewable Energy Sources and the Incentives’ Implementation Systems in the Croatian Energy Market Operator and Mr. Dražen Jakšić, Director of Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar observed the possibilities and directions of financing national energy policies in the financial perspective 2021-2027 in the view of global changes.

The ceremony of awarding the Grant Agreement was closed with an interactive quiz Climate Collage in which the Citizens’ Association Tatavaka, in collaboration with high school students, presented its work on raising awareness of climate change prevention as an extremely important topic for future generations.