On occasion of launching the Call 'Energy renovation of buildings and use of renewable energy sources in public sector buildings', at the International Hotel Zagreb, a Conference for representatives of the state administration, regional and local self-government has been held today by the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning, aimed at providing information on the criteria to be fulfilled in order to be eligible applicants for energy renovation of their buildings.
Opening speeches were delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction and Physical Planning Predrag Štromar, in the capacity of envoy of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković; Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Gabrijela Žalac; Director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund Dubravko Ponoš; and State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy Ivo Milatić.
In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Štromar pointed out that bringing a building in order would generate the benefit of reduced costs of fuels – electricity, gas and all fuels, enabling the authority implementing such an infrastructure investment to use the saved funds for other purposes – for improving the utility infrastructure of municipalities and towns, for improving the working conditions in nursery schools, etc.
Minister Štromar also announced that over the next four years more than five billion HRK will be invested in energy efficiency, out of which 2.3 billion will be EU funds. "We envisage that there will be a lot of work, especially for small construction firms that to date have had no work as they were sub-contractors of major companies. Now, they will also have the opportunity to participate in tenders for construction and reconstruction, with the possibility of obtaining good prices and pay their workers good wages", he pointed out.
Under the Call 'Energy renovation of buildings and use of renewable energy sources in public sector buildings', 380 million kuna have been allocated from the European Regional Development Fund for energy renovation of public sector buildings, and in case of funds being expended, there is a possibility of increasing the allocation. The lowest grant amount that can be granted for financing eligible project costs is 80,000.00 kuna, and the highest amount is 40,000,000.00 kuna. Grants shall be awarded by way of an open grant award procedure under a permanent Call. Submission of project proposals is permitted at the earliest from 15 January 2018, with the final time limit for submission of project proposals being 31 December 2020, or up to utilisation of all available funds.
It should be mentioned that, under the Operational Programme 'Competitiveness and Cohesion', the Ministry of Construction and Physical Planning is competent for the specific objectives 'Reduction of energy consumption of public sector buildings' and 'Reduction of energy consumption of residential buildings (in multi-apartment buildings and family houses)'. For all those who were not able to apply for participation in this Conference, the Ministry shall, in the course of 2018, organise a number of informational workshops, providing the opportunity of participation to all potential applicants under the Call, with submission of applications for participation in the workshops being possible as of Wednesday, 20 December 2017.
