Croatia signed 47 business battery grants worth EUR 16.3 million, using only about 30% of the money on offer
Ministry of Economy figures via Jutarnji list: the first grant call for batteries storing a company's own solar output closed in February and produced 47 contracts worth EUR 16.3 million. About 250 MWh and over 100 MW once built, some already done, the rest in 2026. EUR 50 million was available.
A Croatian company with solar on its land could, until February, ask the state to help pay for a battery beside it. Now we know how many did.
Jutarnji list reported on 23 September 2026, citing the Ministry of Economy, that the first public grant call for batteries storing power from solar plants closed in February. It produced 47 contracts worth EUR 16.3 million. When finished, the projects add about 250 MWh of storage and more than 100 MW of power. Some are already built and the rest are due during 2026. The call had EUR 50 million on offer, so about 30% was used.
The call was open to businesses of all sizes, for batteries at or near their production plant, paired with existing or new solar. Croatia's energy and climate plan aims for 250 MW of batteries by 2030. Jutarnji puts operating capacity today at about 11 MW. It also lists HEP plans for about 300 MWh at Korlat and 90 MWh with a new 40 MW solar plant, and grid operator HOPS requests for 854 MW across 13 projects.
Analogy: the state opened a shop with EUR 50 million of stock. Forty-seven buyers came in and left with about a third of the shelves.
Good: real contracts, a real total and a real MWh figure. Croatian business batteries are moving from slide decks to installed kit.
Bad: a 30% take-up says the offer was harder to use than it looked. The report does not say why: deadlines, sizing rules, paperwork or grid terms.
Ugly: the call is closed and the report names no date for a second round. A firm that missed it has nothing to plan around yet. For scale, 47 contracts average about EUR 347,000 each, by our division.
Source: Jutarnji list, 23 Sep 2026 - Croatia wants 250 MW of batteries by 2030, first grants flow to investors; fondovieu.gov.hr - call NPOO.C1.2.R1-I1.03, storage of own electricity production.