At Arena Zagreb, international suppliers of solar systems and storage have the opportunity to meet and do business with local installers and planners, and the fair is fast becoming a regular fixture for this kind of cooperation. Its growth also reflects how quickly the energy transition is moving in Croatia and across south-eastern Europe, where the renewable energy sector has moved well beyond its early stages and now plays a central role in national energy plans.
A fair for the trade
The rising visitor numbers bear this out. Most of those who came to Arena Zagreb were trade professionals, there to find out about the latest solar technology, storage systems and e-mobility solutions, and to meet potential suppliers.
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Alongside the exhibition, an extensive conference programme also took on more contentious topics, such as the electricity demand of data centres and the role of nuclear power in the future energy mix. This is a live question in Croatia, which operates the Krško nuclear power plant in Slovenia jointly with its neighbour.
Organiser Domagoj Badanjak of the Zagreb-based company AleDo TECH is pleased with how the event has developed since its first edition in 2025. “We have laid a good foundation and, for two days, turned Zagreb and Croatia into a centre for renewable energy and e-mobility,” he says. He answers critics who argue that Croatia’s energy transition is too slow with a joke, pointing out that even the opening ceremony started a few minutes late. “What matters is that we are heading in the right direction and making progress.”
60 percent renewables on the grid
For Tomislav Mihotić, State Secretary for Road Transport at the Croatian Ministry of Transport, the fair is an excellent opportunity to show how the green transition is moving from plans to real projects. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen also points to how much Croatia has already achieved, with renewables now covering almost 60 percent of gross electricity consumption. “That is well above the EU average,” he says. “The next step is to electrify transport, buildings and industry. Croatia also needs more flexibility through batteries, pumped storage and thermal storage.”
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Jørgensen adds that the grid also needs strengthening, especially the cross-border connections that are so important for south-eastern Europe: “Stronger power grids and better-connected markets can help countries share resources, improve security of supply and bring down prices.”
Supply, prices and climate goals
The government in Zagreb also sees the energy transition as a priority. For the country, it means security of supply, affordable energy prices and decarbonisation all at once, said Željko Krevelj, head of the Energy Directorate at the Ministry of the Economy. Croatia no longer imports Russian oil and gas. Instead, it brings in substantial volumes of gas from around the world through its LNG terminal on the island of Krk.
Billions for grids and storage
Croatia is also putting serious money into renewables, with more than €1.2 billion from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan set aside for the energy transition. More than €570 million of this is going into expanding the power grid and into battery systems, and the ministry aims to have more than 250 MWh of battery storage in place by the end of the year.
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A new legal framework for the sector is also in the works. “Today the energy transition is beyond question. It is the foundation for development, security and the quality of life of our citizens,” Krevelj says.
Electric buses and hybrid trains
The electrification of transport was one of the central themes of the fair, and Tomislav Mihotić of the Ministry of Transport points to several projects that show how far electric mobility has already advanced in Croatia. In January this year, the ministry signed contracts for 68 electric buses for six cities and one municipality, with €41.9 million in EU funding. A further 62 electric buses have been ordered for Zagreb.
The government is also investing €117.9 million in rail, covering 13 trains with alternative drive systems and two charging stations. A further 30 trains powered by battery, a combination of overhead line and battery, or hydrogen are planned, at a cost of €270 million.
Solarising transport infrastructure
Transport infrastructure itself is also set to generate electricity. A 2 MW solar plant is being built along the motorway from Zagreb to Macelj on the Slovenian border, where it will cover most of the electricity needs of the motorway facilities, and similar plans are being developed for the other motorways. “Croatia has the potential not only to deploy new technologies, but also to develop and manufacture them with its own expertise,” Mihotić says, referring to the domestic production of components. (su)
