Siemens Energy, Končar to install electrolyzer, solar power plant for INA

Siemens Energy and Končar will install an electrolyzer and a solar power plant for Croatian oil and gas company INA.

INA said it has signed two important contracts for the implementation of the green hydrogen production project at its Rijeka refinery.

By signing contracts with reputable companies, with a total value of EU 33 million, INA has secured the preconditions for the implementation of the first commercial green hydrogen production plant in Croatia, according to the update.

A contract with Siemens Energy and Končar was signed for the construction of a 10 MW green hydrogen production and distribution plant. The order is estimated at EUR 22.5 million excluding VAT.

INA has already secured the delivery of the electrolyzer

The second contract, worth nearly EUR 11 million excluding VAT, was signed with Končar. It envisages the construction of a 11 MW photovoltaic plant. The facility would supply electricity to the electrolyzer.

As part of the project, INA has already secured the electrolyzer, a key system for water electrolysis and hydrogen production from renewable sources. Its majority owner, Hungarian MOL, inaugurated its first 10 MW electrolyzer in April last year.

Green hydrogen is intended for use in transportation

The green hydrogen that would be produced is intended for the market, primarily for transportation purposes, and it could also be used in the refinery’s production process. The company recalled that, by a decision of the Ministry of Economy, it received a EUR 15 million grant from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The program is for the production and distribution of hydrogen in transportation.

The hydrogen market in Croatia is in an early development phase. INA’s plant could produce about 1,500 tons of green hydrogen annually.

Of note, Croatia adopted a hydrogen strategy in 2022. The government subsidizes the installation of chargers for hydrogen fueled vehicles.

Ortutay: Hydrogen could open new market opportunities for INA

INA CEO Zsuzsanna Ortutay said European and national strategies consider renewable hydrogen a technology of the future.

The renewable hydrogen that INA will produce can open new opportunities for the company in the market, but also improve the sustainability of Rijeka refinery through emission reductions, Ortutay stressed.

According to Končar CEO Gordan Kolak, green hydrogen isn’t only a technology of the future but a key element for decarbonizing industry and transport.

As the main contractor for the construction of this plant, Končar confirmed its role as a reliable partner developing key expertise for the European energy infrastructure in the decades to come, Kolak added.