The Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning plans to invest more than one billion kuna into the energy renovation of multi-residential buildings, including HRK 629 million to come from the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion, following a call for the submission of tenders and 616 projects being approved.
The results of the call for the submission of tenders were presented on Tuesday in the government building with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic underscoring that the benefits of the projects included lower energy costs, reducing CO2 emissions and boosting the construction sector. "I think this very good project that has a concrete, tangible impact for our citizens will have multiple effects," he said.
The call was concluded at the end of January with 648 applications submitted and 616 approved in the amount of HRK 629 million. The amount is greater than the entire allocation for this purpose earmarked in the 2014-2020 semester, totalling HRK 525 million (approx. 70 million euro), the prime minister underscored.
Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Gabrijela Zalac and Construction Minister Lovro Kuscevic highlighted the exceptional interest expressed by citizens, which has significantly increased the absorption of allocated EU funds.
The Construction Ministry will co-finance 60% of the projects approved while owners of the buildings concerned will finance the remaining 40%.
"We all know what energy savings mean for the development of the Croatian construction sector and the reduction of CO2 emissions," Kuscevic said.
The projects approved encompass 1.4 million square metres of housing or more than 17,000 households. The average age of buildings is 50 years and once the renovation is completed, it will result in energy savings of 66.8% and a reduction of CO2 of about 20,500 tonnes.
Most the projects submitted were from Rijeka (128), Zagreb (80), Split (30), Osijek (27) and Pula (25).
"That is not the end of our energy renovation programmes," Kuscevic added. Another tender, for the energy renovation of education institutions, will end on February 20 with HRK 152 million to be allocated.
Kuscevic said that by the end of the month the government would adopt a programme for the energy renovation of public buildings (schools, dormitories and hospitals), for which the ministry had secured HRK 1.58 billion (211 mln euro).
(EUR 1 = HRK 7.5)
Text: Hina