Small Grants 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 12 December 2022 at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds.

Based on the relevant Funding Decisions for the two Small Grant Schemes, two projects were approved for financing in the total grant amount of 397.950,75 EUR.

The first one referred to the Call for project proposals Deep geothermal energy database, where the Project Promoter the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency was awarded the total grant amount of 200.000,00 EUR. The second one referred to the Call for project proposals Shallow geothermal energy database, where the Project Promoter the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of the University of Zagreb was awarded the total grant amount of 197.950,75 EUR.

The event was inaugurated by Minister Nataša Tramišak who congratulated the grant award beneficiaries, and emphasized the successful cooperation and support from H.E. Mr. Haakon Blankenborg, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Croatia, and Mr. Dražen Jakšić, Director of the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar in the implementation of the “Energy and Climate Change” Programme.

Mr. Blankenborg gave a brief overview of the cooperation within the framework of the “Energy and Climate Change” Programme, especially in the context of bilateral cooperation. Mr. Jakšić emphasized the importance of contracting such projects in terms of strengthening energy efficiency and increasing energy production from renewable sources.

“With today’s two small grants awards, we have reached a key milestone in the Programme, as these two contracts are the last two out of a total of six Open Calls for Project proposals that have been successfully closed and evaluated. This decade will be focused on the use of renewable energy sources, and the Republic of Croatia has all the predispositions to be a leader at the level of the European Union, not only in the form of using solar energy, but also the energy from the sea, a potential that Croatia has not yet used, as well as geothermal energy. I look forward to further cooperation on these projects, as well as the successful completion and implementation of the signed contracts with the Croatian Hydrocarbons Agency and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of the University of Zagreb from this Programme,” stressed Minister Tramišak.

“This Programme and its projects, in view of the energy crisis, proved to be very relevant and necessary. It is commendable that the funds were used in a focused manner and in complementarity with EU funds. We are grateful for the excellent cooperation with Croatia so far and we look forward to its strengthening in the new financial period of the Norwegian and EEA Financial Mechanisms,” said the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Croatia.

The director of the Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute, Mr. Dražen Jakšić, emphasized the importance of presenting data on the potential and use of shallow and deep geothermal energy sources in Croatia. The creation of these two internet platforms is extremely important for the further development of the shallow and deep geothermal energy sector, as the data will show all stakeholders in a transparent manner where and how to use this type of renewable energy.

After briefly presenting their projects, the representatives of Grant Awards beneficiaries, Mrs. Martina Tuschl, Director of the Geothermal Energy Sector at the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency, and Mr. Zdenko Tonković, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, officially received the Grant Agreements.