Croatia’s EU-level tripartite framework sets a target for 500 MW / 1,000 MWh of additional storage by 2028. A 2026 European research snapshot estimated that operating capacity was about 66 MW. The figures show the difference between the country’s storage target and its current installed capacity.
The target comes as renewable generation in Croatia grows. Croatia also has access to the coupled EU market. However, it has not matched the pace of battery commissioning in Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.
Market conditions and investment requirements
Regional scarcity pushed prices higher across central Southeast Europe during Week 42, when Croatia’s baseload average was about EUR 230.49/MWh. Storage can capture lower prices during solar hours and evening price premiums. Investors, however, need clarity on the rules governing those revenues.
Key issues include network tariffs, grid-connection treatment, access to system services and revenue certainty. Available support envelopes do not by themselves make projects bankable, although grants can reduce capital expenditure. Developers also need a clear operating licence, a dispatch route, defined grid charges and predictable treatment of charging and discharging.
Uncertainty over these conditions could leave developers with permits but unable to reach financial close. Croatia’s next step is to establish standardised project rules that lenders and optimisers can price, including clear arrangements for tariffs and market access. Consistent rules could help the country use its position in the coupled market and turn storage ambitions into operating assets; the outstanding issue is whether project terms will become predictable enough for lenders and developers to proceed.