An urban mobility ecosystem with electric autonomous taxis will be introduced in Zagreb (photo: strgars from Pixabay)
Under its recovery and resilience plan, Croatia earmarked EUR 200 million for an urban mobility ecosystem with electric autonomous taxis, a project of Croatian technology and electric car company Rimac Automobili, and EUR 133 million for oil company INA’s bioethanol project.
Croatia’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be financed by EUR 6.3 billion in grants and EUR 3.6 billion in loans under the EUR 673 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). It is the main component of the European Union’s EUR 800 billion recovery package called NextGenerationEU, intended to mitigate the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic and make European economies better prepared for the green and digital transitions. The goals are integrated with the European Green Deal.
Croatian plan’s contribution to the green transition amounts to 40% of the country’s total allocation
Every recovery and resilience plan, which will be implemented in the period 2021-2026, must allocate at least 37% to green transition, and at least 20% for digital transition. The Croatian green transition share is 40% of the country’s total allocation.
The largest component in the energy transition section is energy efficiency and post-earthquake reconstruction of buildings – EUR 789 million, followed by EUR 728 million for sustainable mobility, EUR 658 million for low-carbon energy transition and EUR 542 million for green transition and energy efficiency in the business sector.
The largest component in the energy transition section is energy efficiency and post-earthquake reconstruction of buildings – EUR 789 million
The funds allocated for energy efficiency and post-earthquake reconstruction will be used for the renovation of at least 225,000 square meters of residential structures and 593,000 square metres of public buildings.
The most interesting project in the area of sustainable mobility is a proposed urban mobility ecosystem based on electric vehicles with level five autonomy. Rimac Automobili is developing it for implementation in Croatia’s capital Zagreb. Total value of the project is estimated at EUR 453 million, and the recovery and resilience plan will contribute EUR 200 million.
The rest of the funds for sustainable mobility will be invested in upgrading railway lines, installing 1,300 charging stations for electric vehicles, and introducing zero-emission vehicles and vessels.
The value of INA’s bioethanol project is estimated at EUR 320 million
The low-carbon energy transition section consists of projects for the modernization of energy infrastructure to connect 1,500 MW of renewable energy, supporting investments for the production of advanced biofuels and renewable hydrogen, and financing innovative carbon capture and storage projects.
The main investment in advanced biofuels is EUR 320 million for INA’s second-generation bioethanol project, where EUR 133 million would come via the recovery and resilience plan. The company intends to use locally grown miscanthus as feedstock.
Support will be given to projects in the private sector that are aimed at boosting the green economy, sustainable tourism, and investing in green technologies.
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