Analysis and recommendations for the establishment of biomethane production in Croatia

The purpose of this paper is to define real potential for biogas production in Croatia and to define the potential for biomethane production. The potential is defined on the basis of the type of raw material that can be used to produce biogas, i.e. biomethane. The existing situation was analysed on the basis of data for 2014 and estimates were made for the year 2020. Along with the presentation of results, methods of data analysis used to define the potential of biogas and potential for biomethane production are described. Croatian and EU legislation regarding biogas and biomethane is presented in the paper. Production and utilisation of biogas and biomethane exceeds the boundaries of one field. It includes agriculture, energy utilisation and environmental protection. National directives on biogas as part of IEE BiogasIN project suggest that in the future the energy obtained from biogas will have important role in the achievement of goals set in the 2009/28 EU Directive on renewable energy sources. In Croatia, legislation on biogas is explicitly stated in more than 20 legislative documents and different institutions are responsible for its implementation.