Bioenergy in Croatia-State of the Art and Future Prospectives

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the state of art and future perspectives of bioenergy in Croatia. In Croatia, bioenergy contributed with 4.8% in 1997 in total energy supply. Fuelwood and wood waste from the wood industry are the most important biomass resources. Sectors with most significant biomass utilization are households (mostly heating), wood industry, and agriculture. Although electricity generation from biomass started in early 1960, it has never taken an important place and amount of electricity, which is being generated, is still very small. When a national energy program BIOEN (Biomass Use Program) launched in 1997, Croatian bioenergy future took a new image. The BIOEN Program contains all technical, technological, legal, economical, and organizational measures and activities needed to ensure the increasing use of environmentally sound and cost competitive bioenergy on a sustainable basis, and to provide a contribution to meeting the future energy demands. This chapter deals with the current state of the art of bioenergy in Croatia, its past development, the BIOEN Program organization, identified barriers, achieved results, and further activities.