engleski

Wind Energy as a Part of a Coastal Zone Sustainable Development Strategy

Energy is often mentioned as one of the basic prerequisites for any economic development. As a part of an integral approach to coastal zone sustainable development, energy related issues shouldn’t be neglected. If high environmental standards are to be met, only new and clean technologies must be used. Renewable energies can therefore play a significant role in tourism sensitive coastal areas. Specially, wind energy technology passed intensive and dynamic development last ten years, and now is mature enough for economically viable utilisation. All recent studies on wind energy potentials in Croatia have proved that Adriatic coastal zone is the most prospective area for its utilisation in Croatia. The most common application is electric energy production either for selling energy directly to the consumers or for usage in wind driven desalinisation systems. Minimum 1 TWh of wind potentials, along with enormous solar potential, existing and future hydro power plants and a gas presence as a matter of high civilisation level, could sufficiently fulfil the energy needs of Adriatic coastal region. A good platform for the realisation of such energy policy is recently proposed Energy Sector Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia, which comprises organisational, legislative, institutional and all other changes necessary for restructuring and reorganising the Croatian energy sector. Referring to wind energy, mechanism of realisation is the ENWIND scheme (or National Wind Energy Utilisation Program). The paper gives main ideas on the ENWIND program, expected benefits and achievements so far. Finally, some identified barriers will be discussed, and future activities described in brief.

Wind energy; sustainability; potential; pilot-project; ENWIND

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