Floating solar could offer lifeline to Croatian fish farm

Fish producer Ribnjačarstvo Končanica in Croatia plans to install a floating solar power plant on one of its fish ponds. The project aims to integrate intensive fish farming with renewable energy generation, establishing an environmentally and economically sustainable system to tackle contemporary challenges.

The project to install a floating solar power plant at the Končanica fish farm was initiated a few years ago, and the next step is to prepare an environmental impact assessment, according to Marina Prusina, the management board chairwoman at Ribnjačarstvo Končanica, Superportal reported.

The concept of combining solar power and food production already exists in Croatia, as well as in other countries in the region, such as Serbia, Montenegro, and Slovenia.

The concept of combining solar power with food production already exists across the region

Two years ago, Croatian firm Sunčane Livade announced plans to build a 252 MW agrisolar plant, called Bilogora, at a site around 100 kilometers from Croatia’s capital, Zagreb.

The proposed floating solar plant in Končanica is expected to improve the fish farm’s operations but also bring benefits to the local community, Prusina said. It could help preserve jobs and save the fish ponds, which are at risk of closure due to climate change and water shortage, she added.

Prusina: The fish ponds face closure due to climate change

Prusina also recalled that the fish ponds in Končanica are part of Natura 2000, a network of nature protection areas across the European Union.

Ribnjačarstvo Končanica earlier said that the project would establish a circular economy system and provide resilience and energy independence as solutions to climate challenges.

The implementation of the project is expected to increase the number of employees at Ribnjačarstvo Končanica from 45 to over 100.

Mislav Kontek from Zagreb-based energy equipment and solutions provider EnergoVizija, who is responsible for developing the project’s concept, noted that its energy component would ensure a stable power source and nearly EUR 500,000 in annual revenue for Končanica’s municipal budget.