Overview of electricity sector conditions in Croatia for Q2 2025

Aware of the strong interest in monitoring electricity consumption and production trends – especially from renewables – in Croatia and across Europe, the Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia (RESC) continues its regular tracking and analysis of energy sector statistics.
Each month, we collect data on the status and dynamics of the Croatian power system. This quarterly report provides a detailed comparison of key indicators for the second quarter of 2025 with the same period in the previous year.

The second quarter of 2025 was marked by challenges in domestic electricity production and a continued high level of imports. Electricity imports remain significantly high, accounting for 17.3% of the total available energy during this period, indicating insufficient domestic production and the need for stronger reliance on domestic energy sources.

Hydropower plant generation was 23% lower than the multi-year average due to the lack of spring rains and weaker snowmelt, resulting in the absence of a crucial seasonal contribution from this renewable source. At the same time, electricity production from fossil fuel power plants was halved (a decrease of 51.6%) due to the Plomin Thermal Power Plant being non-operational and the economic unfeasibility of gas-fired thermal power plants.

A positive shift was brought by other renewable energy sources — solar power plants, wind farms, biomass, and biogas — which for the first time held the leading position in the energy structure, accounting for 29.7% of total energy available, thereby confirming their growing importance in Croatia’s electricity system.

Electricity balance in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024 and 2025

To better monitor trends in electricity consumption, production, and imports, this report compares the electricity balance performance for Q2 2025 with the same period in the previous year (Q2 2024). This comparison provides deeper insight into changes in the structure of energy sources and the impact of weather, market, and technical factors on Croatia’s electricity system. It will present differences in total electricity consumption as well as changes in the structure of available energy by production technology.

1. Electricity consumption

In the second quarter of this year, domestic electricity consumption amounted to 4,252 GWh, which is 7 GWh less compared to the same period in 2024 (4,259 GWh). This represents a decrease of 0.2%, which is a result of reduced consumption for heating (due to warmer weather conditions).

2. Available electricity

Available electricity in the second quarter of this year amounted to 4,357 GWh, which is 5 GWh higher than in the same quarter last year (4,352 GWh), an increase of 0.1%.

Structure of available electricity by technology in Q2 2025

Other renewable energy sources (solar power plants, wind farms, biomass, and biogas) generated a total of 1,292 GWh, representing an increase of 374 GWh or 40.7% compared to the previous year. For the first time, these sources took the leading position in the available electricity structure, with a share of 29.7%, meaning that nearly 30 out of every 100 kWh consumed in Croatia came from these sources. For comparison, this is 4.5 times more than the output of fossil fuel thermal power plants and 70.4% more than the supply from the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (50%) in this quarter.

Hydropower plants, including inflow and reservoir-based systems, generated 1,190 GWh, which is 140 GWh less than in the same period last year. The reservoir potential increased by 24 GWh in the second quarter of this year, while in the same period last year it decreased by 145 GWh. The energy value of water inflow for hydropower generation amounted to 1,214 GWh in Q2 2025, which is 49 GWh more than in the same quarter of 2024, a 4.2% increase. Nevertheless, compared to the multi-year average (1,585 GWh), this is a 23.4% decrease, mainly due to the lack of spring rains and weaker snowmelt.

The Krško Nuclear Power Plant (Croatia’s 50% share) delivered 758 GWh, which is 276 GWh more than in the same quarter last year, noting that the plant was undergoing regular annual maintenance in April last year. The share of Krško in total available electricity for Q2 2025 was 17.4%.

Electricity production from thermal power plants on fossil fuels was only 285 GWh (6.5%), marking a drop of 304 GWh or 51.6% compared to the same quarter in 2024. The Plomin Thermal Power Plant remained  non-operational, and the decline in gas-fired thermal power plant production is a result of the lack of its market competitiveness, given the high costs of production and CO₂ emission units compared to the electricity market price.

Pumped-storage hydropower plants (non-renewable share, from pumped water) generated 78 GWh, which is 8 GWh more than last year, accounting for 1.8% in the available energy structure.

Despite the increase in generation from renewable sources, due to the simultaneous decline in production from hydropower plants and thermal power plants, electricity imports remained high. In the second quarter, 754 GWh were imported, representing 17.3% of total available electricity. With an average market price of €84.69/MWh (Cropex), the value of imported electricity in this quarter amounts to approximately €64 million.

Other RES – detailed overview by source (comparison of Q2 2025 and Q2 2024)

Wind farms generated 723 GWh, which represents an increase of 222 GWh (+44.3%). This is a result of better wind conditions and the connection of new capacities (Wind Farm Mazin with 20 MW and Wind Farm Visoka with 53 MW in 2024, and Wind Farm Opor with 24 MW in 2025).

Solar power plants generated 338 GWh, which is an increase of 141 GWh (+71.6%). This considerable growth is the result of a significant increase in capacity – between July 2024 and July 2025, a total of 447.7 MW of new solar power plants entered into operation, which is an average of 37.1 MW per month or 1,218 kW per day.

Thermal power plants using renewable sources (biomass, biogas) generated 231 GWh, which is an increase of 11 GWh (+5.5%) compared to the previous year.

The geothermal power plant was non-operational in both observed quarters.

Installed capacity of power plants as of 1 July 2025

The total installed capacity of all available power plants in Croatia as of 1 July 2025 was 5,793 MW, of which:

• renewable sources account for 4,733 MW or 81.7%,
• while non-renewable sources account for 1,060 MW or 18.3%.

By grid connection type, 4,436 MW (76.6%) are connected to the transmission network, and 1,357 MW (23.4%) are connected to the distribution network.

In addition to these capacities, available sources should also include the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (Croatia’s 50% share), with 348 MW of net capacity and 363.5 MW of gross capacity at the generator in Slovenia.

At the same time, a total of 985 MW of generation capacity is currently unavailable (temporarily out of operation), including Thermal Power Plants Sisak 1 and 2, Thermal Power Plant Rijeka, Combined Cycle Power Plant Jertovec, Combined Cogeneration Unit EL-TO Zagreb A and B, and Thermal Power Plant Plomin 1.

Conclusion

Trends from the second quarter of 2025 clearly confirm that Croatia still largely depends on electricity imports, while unfavorable hydrometeorological conditions and the unfeasibility of electricity production from fossil fuels further highlight the limited self-sufficiency of our electricity system. At the same time, the growth in production from renewable energy sources indicates the direction we shall pursue for a secure and sustainable energy future.

To reduce dependence on imports and ensure a stable supply amid climate and market changes, it is essential to accelerate the development of RES projects while simultaneously investing in the electricity network and advanced energy storage systems. Only a flexible and modern network can enable larger integration of renewables, maintain system stability, and protect end-users from price volatility.

For this reason, Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia (RES Croatia), in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP), and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), is conducting a professional study on network congestion locations and the need for battery storage systems in Croatia. The results of this study will serve as a foundation for strategic planning and investment direction, with the ultimate goal of building an energy system that is reliable, self-sufficient, and supportive of the green transition.