INA has signed contracts for the construction of a green hydrogen plant at the Rijeka Refinery and a biomethane production facility in Sisak, with a total value of EUR 98 million. These projects aim to strengthen the company's renewable project portfolio and contribute to its green transition efforts. The green hydrogen plant will be the first commercial producer of green hydrogen in Croatia, while the biomethane facility will produce biomethane from agricultural residues. INA plans to invest up to 20% of its 2025 budget in renewable energy projects. The projects will be co-financed through the Croatian Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Zagreb – INA has signed two contracts – one for construction of a green hydrogen plant at the Rijeka Refinery, and another one for a biomethane production facility in Sisak. The combined value of these two new strategic projects that will strengthen the company’s renewable project portfolio is EUR 98 million. Construction of both plants is expected to be completed in 2026.
INA’s new projects will significantly contribute to the company’s green transition efforts. The first one is an installation of a 10 MW electrolyser for the production of green hydrogen at the Rijeka Refinery, coupled with a solar power plant that would partially power the production unit. By producing green hydrogen, which is meant for use in transportation, INA will become the first producer of commercial green hydrogen in Croatia. A contract for the delivery of key equipment has been signed with a domestic company IVICOM Consulting.
The second project refers to the industrial location in Sisak where INA is planning to build a facility for production of biomethane, mostly from agricultural residues (straw, manure, slurry) and different types of biodegradable waste. The produced biomethane could be delivered to the gas system of Croatia, while the residue remaining from production could be used as an ecologically acceptable fertilizer. A turnkey contract for engineering, procurement and construction of a biomethane plant was signed with Biogest, the international biomethane and biogas plant manufacturer headquartered in Austria.
“Having an already built solar power plant together with the planned biomethane production facility, INA demonstrates its commitment to turn the industrial location in Sisak into a centre for renewable energy sources. Additionally, at the Rijeka Refinery we wish to contribute to the production of clean energy in Croatia by building a facility for the production of green hydrogen. INA’s dedication to a green transition is unquestionable. Beside these two announced projects, INA is also planning to invest in many other sustainable projects, such as geothermal exploration and further solar power plants. Accordingly, our plan is to direct up to 20 percent of the 2025 investment budget to all renewable energy projects,” said Zsuzsanna Ortutay, President of the Management Board of INA.
The green hydrogen project, together with its solar plant and logistic capacity will be co-financed via Croatian Recovery and Resilience Facility. INA will apply to the same fund for the Sisak Biomethane project as well, once a public call for the funding is announced.
In line with the recently updated strategy of MOL Group, INA as its important member continuously monitors new technologies and develops projects with the aim of business transformation, sustainability, reducing CO₂ emissions and increasing energy efficiency. In relation to this, two solar power plants (Virje and Sisak) are already in production. In the upcoming period INA is developing projects for further solar power plants at its locations. Furthermore, the company won two licences for geothermal energy exploration in Croatia and has started with exploration works. Depending on the results, INA would start producing electricity from this renewable energy source. Within its renewable project portfolio the company is also examining the wind potential of the Northern Adriatic.