September the 29th, 2026 – The very first Croatian green hydrogen plant is being built at the large Rijeka Refinery, and it’s one of INA’s key investments.
Croatia will soon get its first commercial plant for the production of green hydrogen. Morski reports that the INA industrial complex at the Rijeka Refinery is currently a major construction site, and the first molecules of this more environmentally friendly energy source are expected at the beginning of next year, according to HRT. This is otherwise one of INA’s key investments, worth more than 60 million euros, which significantly strengthens Croatia’s energy position on the European map.
1,500 tonnes of hydrogen per year
Designed in accordance with the best global practices and technologies already applied worldwide, the new hydrogen production plant will use electricity from its own power plant. “Similar plants have already been implemented around the world, and ours is being built to the highest standards,” emphasised Una Radulović Zekić, Director of Health, Safety and Environment at INA. The planned annual capacity is 1,500 tonnes of green hydrogen. It will primarily be used for the needs of the refinery itself, but depending on demand, it will also be available for placement on the commercial market.
This project is part of a broader modernisation cycle of the Rijeka plant, within which the construction of a facility for processing heavy residues was recently completed. This enables the processing of a significantly wider range of crude oil and completely eliminates the need to import semi-finished products, while overall diesel production will increase by up to 30 percent. Goran Pleše, Operational Director of Refining and Marketing at INA, emphasises that with the completed modernisation, both Rijeka and Croatia are gaining a much more favourable market position.
kostrena demands higher environmental standards
Despite these large investments, the local community points to long-standing open environmental problems. Residents of Kostrena have been struggling for decades with unpleasant odours and occasional sea pollution. “Kostrena has been burdened by all kinds of industry in the area for decades. We expect INA and others to move in the direction of relief and to respect the highest standards of environmental protection, safety and transparency,” said the mayor of the Municipality of Kostrena, Dražen Vranić.
a new system of protective barriers for a cleaner sea
Responding to environmental challenges, INA points out that the construction of an extensive system of protective barriers is also underway, which should prevent further leakage of hydrocarbons into the marine area. The project envisages the drilling of a total of 75 boreholes, of which 54 are new and 21 existing. The entire system is designed to pump pollutants at the lowest point and thus permanently prevent contact of hydrocarbons with the sea. Completion of the works and the first concrete results are expected in the spring.
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