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Association of Peat, Briquettes and Wood Biomass Producers presented its initiative in the town of Vinkovci, together with Croatian Wood Cluster, to get authorised institutions to introduce peat as heating fuel in most public buildings through public procurement system, which would result in saving money, Energetika.ba portal reported.
The association’s representatives said there were 3,200 public procurers who autonomously decide on fuel type. There are 4,000 public educational institutions alone, from kindergardens to universities and scientific organisations, and they spend around HRK 250 million (EUR 33 million) a year, the report said. Switching to peat for heating would save 30 % to 50 % a year, and the investment in the heating system would pay off in 3 to 6 years, depending on the type, the article said.
Forests make 47 % of the country’s total area, which makes a great potential for commodity, where good management by Hrvatske šume company ensures bigger increment of wood biomass, that comes from cutting, the association’s secretary Marijan Kavran said at the press conference.
The current 10 peat producers in Croatia, ones with all necessary certificates, manufacture up to 250,000 tons a year, out of which 92 % is for export, mostly to Italy, Slovenia, Austria and Germany, he added. But the production potential is greater than that and it could have a significant influence on economic growth, particularly in rural areas, where most of the woodworking industry is, Kavran said.
