Croatia Not Impacted by Disruption of Russian Gas Supplies

Gas supply in Croatia remained stable and without disruptions, the Croatian Ministry of Economy said after the transit route of Russian gas through Ukraine was interrupted from the New Year Day, Croatian news agency HINA reported.

The country was securing gas from three main sources and they included the LNG terminal, domestic production and the PSP Okoli underground storage facility, whose stocks are currently at 60 percent of capacity meeting the national energy requirements and provides significant support to countries in the region.

In a statement, the Ministry of Economy also said that thanks to the strategic role of the LNG terminal on Krk, Croatia has not been dependent on Russian gas since the very beginning of the terminal’s operation.

In addition, the Croatian LNG terminal has played a key role in ensuring the security of gas supply for all of Southeast Europe, the ministry said, adding that supply via alternative routes in sufficient quantities has been ensured for EU member states that were most dependent on gas from the transit route via Ukraine, as well as storage capacities.

Croatia’s total domestic annual gas consumption has gradually decreased in recent years, reaching 3.040 billion cubic meters (BCM) in 2020, 2.9 BCM in 2021, 2.53 BCM in 2022, and 2.59 BCM in 2023. At present, 2.9 BCM of gas was available annually from the LNG terminal alone, which exceeds the total annual consumption of all customers in Croatia and further guarantees security of supply, the statement said.

Since the LNG terminal began operating, gas has been delivered to the Croatian gas system from 108 LNG ships, mainly from the US, but also from other countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Algeria and Egypt. A total of 15.062 BCM of gas have been imported, some of which has been exported to other countries in the region.

Strategic Project

The Government has also adopted a decision declaring the project ‘Supporting Infrastructure for the Strategic Investment Project LNG Terminal’ a strategic investment project.

The value of the project is $550 million excluding VAT and includes key gas pipeline routes, including Omišalj-Zlobin and the interconnection to Slovenia.

By expanding the LNG terminal capacity to 6.1 BCM and building new gas pipelines, Croatia is positioning itself as an energy hub for the region and the European Union, ensuring independence, continuity and security of gas supply, the Ministry concluded.