Croatia Braces for Autumn Gas Shortages Amid EU Price Spike

Croatia is bracing for potential natural gas problems this autumn due to poorly filled underground storage facilities. The country's energy expert Igor Grozdanić notes that prices in the European Union have risen to over €60 per megawatt-hour (MWh). He predicts that natural gas prices could reach 55-75 euros per MWh by this autumn.

The current fill level of the Okoli Underground Gas Storage, a significant facility in Croatia, is around 58 percent. The Croatian Government has set a target to increase the fill level to at least 85 percent by October 1st with an allowed deviation of up to five percent. However, under current market conditions, it does not pay for storage facilities to be filled due to high prices.

Despite these concerns, energy experts do not expect shortages in electricity supply this autumn. They attribute this to the nuclear power plants operating over in France and the Czech Republic, which can cool using air coolers and are not dependent on river or lake water levels. Croatia imports a significant share of its electricity from Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it is produced without difficulties.