Croatia to grant 15 mln euro to INA for hydrogen project

Croatian government will grant 15 million euro ($16.2 million) to oil and gas group INA [ZSE:INA] for its 45.5 million euro project to establish green hydrogen production and distribution for the transportation sector.

The aim of the grant is to encourage the development of hydrogen-based economy and strengthen the decarbonisation of transport through the use of alternative fuels, according to a decision published on the economy ministry’s website. The grant will be provided under the European Union sponsored Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The project involves installing a 10 MW electrolyzer with a capacity of up to 4,000 kg of green hydrogen daily, along with an 11 MW solar power plant to support the electrolyzer at INA’s refinery in Rijeka. It also includes setting up a hydrogen storage and distribution system at refinery.

INA will produce hydrogen to supply a network of at least ten filling stations across the country.

Hungarian energy group MOL is the largest shareholder in INA, followed by the Croatian government. MOL said in April 2024 that it intends to build a green hydrogen plant within INA’s refinery in Rijeka.

In May, US green hydrogen company Ohmium International said that it had been selected to supply equipment for the project, seen as the first green hydrogen project in the Adriatic country.