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Biogas Energy in Croatia and the Czech Republic: Some Notes on the Rural Energy Transition in East-Central Europe

Both Croatia and the Czech Republic are undergoing a transition towards a green economy in the period after their accession to the European Union. As the EU belongs to the world leaders in development of the renewable energies and both mentioned countries accessed the EU in different periods (Czech Republic in 2004, Croatia in 2013), renewable energy sectors has been developing in the last decade quite differently. However, several similarities could be found. Firstly, ambitious political agendas in both countries aimed to expand renewable energy production systems on their territories. Secondly, social and technological predispositions or environmental consequences connected to development of renewable energy sector were not taken into account. Thirdly, Croatia and the Czech Republic have gone through similar political and socio-economic transitions to the market economy during the last decades. On the other side, currently, Croatia covers almost 30 % of its energy consumption by renewable energies, while in the Czech Republic it is only around 15 %. While Croatia imports circa 50 % of energy, Czech Republic is on the contrary exporting around one fifth of its energy production. Surely, differences could be found in ways how individual renewable energy systems are developing in both countries. In our paper, we are focusing on biogas energy as one particular renewable energy system that is being developed in both studied countries. Our endeavour is to compare trajectories of development of biogas energy, to study differences in their location, regional and local spatial planning regulations, and focus of operating biogas station (as for input materials and output products). Thus, aim of our paper is to analyse development of biogas sectors in Croatia and the Czech Republic in the last decade and also to present examples of biogas stations that are being considered as good practices.

biogas, renewable energy, Croatia, Czech Republic

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