MPs support greater use of renewable energy sources

Zagreb - Members of Parliament on Thursday endorsed an initiative to increase the use of renewable energy sources in transport in the period until 2030 but also warned that Croatia mostly depends on imports for biofuels.

We are still more or less dependent on imports for the time being but the construction of a biorefinery in Sisak is being planned. It will satisfy the demand in our market and be a regional leader, a state secretary at the Economy and Sustainable Development Ministry, Ivo Milatić, told MPs.

During a debate on amendments to the law on transport biofuels, which are aimed at increasing the share of renewables in transport in the period until 2030 to 14%, Milatić said that the target could be achieved and that the production of biofuels would contribute to it.

"The construction of the biorefinery in Sisak is an important project because, in addition to enabling the production of sufficient quantities of biofuels, it will also help the local economy and create jobs," he said.

Social Democrat MP Željko Pavić said he believed there was room for optimism but warned that Croatia was dependent on biofuel imports.

"We have to resort to import because we have closed our biofuel factories and more than 400,000 hectares of farmland have been left unused," he said.

"We are energy-dependent more than ever and we will be even more dependent," said Croatian Peasant Party MP Željko Lenart, adding that biogas from waste was used too little while biomass from forests was sold to foreigners.

Solar energy is not used sufficiently either, Bridge MP Miro Bulj said, noting that Croatia has the resources and potential to be energy independent but that it is not using them.

Author: Hina