Croatia lets standalone batteries get permits in industrial zones before local plans catch up
A 28 July 2026 instruction from the spatial planning ministry, publicised by OIEH on 28 August: until spatial plans list battery sites, location and building permits for standalone battery plants can be issued in industrial and production zones. A location permit is still required.
For years, a Croatian investor with land in an industrial zone and a plan for a big battery hit a strange wall. The local spatial plan simply did not mention batteries, so nobody could say yes.
On 28 August 2026, OIEH, the Croatian renewable energy association, reported an instruction from the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets dated 28 July. Until spatial plans are aligned, standalone battery plants can be permitted in zones meant for industrial and production use. The instruction replaces the ministry's earlier opinions on the subject.
Energetika-net reported the same day that permits still follow the usual route: a location permit first, with the local planning conditions for that zone. OIEH says the lack of clear spatial rules had held projects back for years. PV Europe covered the change on 4 September.
Analogy: the town has not reprinted its map, but the clerk now has written permission to stamp a battery on the industrial blocks anyway.
Good: a written ministry instruction that removes one specific blocker for battery projects on industrial land. Sites next to factories and business zones are exactly where many battery plans sit.
Bad: this covers standalone batteries in specific zones. It is not a fee rule, a connection rule or a grant. The grid-fee question raised in July is still open.
Ugly: an instruction is not a new spatial plan. Each county and town still runs its own permit process, so timing will vary site by site.
Source: OIEH, 28 Aug 2026 - a simpler path to building standalone battery plants; Energetika-net, 28 Aug 2026 - easier battery storage in industrial and production zones; PV Europe, 4 Sep 2026 - Croatia clears way for faster battery permits.