Making Energy Self-Sufficiency a Reality

Zagreb, 28 January 2026 – Under the slogan “Croatia at the Crossroads of a Decade”, the Energetika 2026 energy conference, organised by Jutarnji list, was held in Zagreb on Tuesday, 27 January 2026.

The conference brought together numerous representatives of the energy sector, with panel discussions focusing on three key energy pillars: oil and gas supply, nuclear energy, and renewable energy sources with battery systems.

Nenad Ukropina, Director of ENNA Next, took part in a panel dedicated to the future of energy systems, energy self-sufficiency, and the role of renewable energy sources. He noted that Croatia consumes around 100 terawatt-hours of primary energy annually, with approximately 50 to 60 percent of that energy coming from imports.

“Croatia consumes around 17–18 terawatt-hours of electricity per year. About half of that is produced from renewable sources - hydropower, wind, and solar- while a certain amount is still imported. We know that electrification is coming, electric vehicles and the like, so the question arises: where will that electricity come from? What we firmly believe in and actively work on is self-sufficiency. The future of us as energy suppliers is to enable our customers to become energy self-sufficient,” Ukropina said.

He also pointed out the increasing occurrence of negative electricity prices, which arise during certain hours when there is intensified simultaneous production from renewable sources such as solar power plants. For example, in 2024 there were around 200 hours with negative prices on CROPEX (the Croatian Power Exchange), while last year that number doubled.

“Batteries, aggregation capabilities, and renewable energy sources offer each of us, whether households or companies, an opportunity to move towards self-sufficiency. Through a comprehensive energy service we call a smart energy hub, our customers can turn energy from a cost into a source of revenue. This is possible today,” Ukropina emphasised, adding that the development of the energy sector is moving towards energy generation at the point of consumption, with the grid serving as a kind of backup.

Other panel participants included Tamara Kelava, Head of the Department for Energy, Environmental Protection and Utility Services at the Croatian Chamber of Economy; Tomaž Orešič, Vice President of Resalta; Branimir Šteko, Director of Sales and Business Development at KONČAR – Digital; Ivan Paladina from the Initiative for Solar Energy of Pannonian Croatia; Željko Šmitran, Director of NGEN Smart Energy Systems; and Vladimir Sabo, Director of E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions for Croatia and Slovenia.

More information about the Energetika 2026 conference is available on jutarnji.hr.

Photo: Goran Mehkek/Cropix