The Croatian government has allocated funding for the energy renovation of 269 multi-apartment buildings as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of the energy crisis. Following the government’s decision, the latest public call will result in the implementation of energy efficiency measures in a total of 411 buildings.
The government’s decision to provide co-financing for the 269 projects will enable Croatia to continue investing in the energy efficiency of the housing stock and help it achieve national climate and energy goals, the document reads.
The funds will be secured from the revenue generated by the sale of carbon allowances
The projects met all the criteria of the public call, but could not be financed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) 2021-2026 due to limited funds available in the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Instead, funding will be secured from the revenue generated by the sale of carbon emission allowances in Croatia. The government has now secured an additional EUR 123.8 million.
In October 2023, the government instructed the relevant authorities to step up energy efficiency measures in the residential sector. It intended to mitigate the impact of the energy crisis, reduce the energy consumption of buildings for heating and cooling, and increase the resilience of the Croatian economy and its citizens to disruptions in the energy markets.
A total of 565 project proposals were submitted under the public call
A total of 565 project proposals were submitted under the public call, seeking EUR 371.1 million in subsidies. So far, 142 projects have been contracted, while 269 have been placed on a reserve list.
The objective of the energy renovation is to reduce annual heat consumption by at least 50% compared to pre-renovation levels. For cultural heritage buildings, a separate target has been set – achieving at least 30% in annual primary energy savings, the government explained.
So far, 651 multi-apartment buildings have been renovated
The previous calls by the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, under the Operational Programme ‘Competitiveness and Cohesion’ 2014-2020, enabled the renovation of 542 multi-apartment buildings, with a surface area of 1.3 million square metres and around 15,400 apartments. The ministry allocated EUR 69.4 million in grants.
Additionally, through the 2021-2026 National Recovery and Resilience Plan, 374 projects for the energy renovation of multi-apartment buildings have been contracted. The government provided EUR 234.4 million in grants. The projects include more than 1.4 million square metres and more than 16,200 apartments.
So far, of the 374 contracted projects, renovation has been completed on 109.
Croatia intends to renovate 6.3 million square meters of multi-apartment buildings by 2030. The structures in this category consume 30% of energy in the entire housing sector. The required investment is estimated at EUR 2.3 billion.
