May 2026 – After more than three years of regulatory limbo, the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency (HERA) has replaced case-by-case "actual cost" pricing with a uniform EUR/kW tariff that applies across the country. Developers can again estimate connection charges at an early stage of the project development.
On 27 April 2026, HERA adopted the Decision on Unit Charges for Connection to the Electricity Grid (Cro. Odluka o iznosu jedinične naknade za priključenje na elektroenergetsku mrežu; the Decision), into force from 1 May 2026.
The Decision closes a regulatory gap that has held up the Croatian renewables pipeline since autumn 2022. Capacity-based connection charges now apply nationwide, replacing the project-specific, operator-led calculations of "actual costs" that varied by location and were difficult to model at the early stages of project development.
The Decision implements the existing Methodology on Determining the Connection Charge to the Electricity Grid (Official Gazette 84/22; the Methodology) and delivers the regulatory framework expressly envisaged by the Electricity Market Act (Official Gazette 111/21, 83/23, 17/25), in alignment with Croatia's National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP).
Connection fees – at a glance
The new regime is built on a simple formula: a fixed unit price (EUR/kW) multiplied by connected capacity, determined as the higher of:
- import (consumption) capacity, or
- export (generation) capacity.
This "higher of" rule has direct commercial consequences for hybrid configurations (e.g. PV with co-located battery storage, or wind plus storage). Oversizing storage capacity beyond the project's export limit, or scaling export capacity to accommodate future expansions, both increase the chargeable capacity and therefore the fee. Sponsors should optimise import/export sizing at the design stage rather than after the connection terms have been issued.
HERA clearly separates two cost layers:
- Connection works – the physical link between the project and the grid, and
- System costs (Cro. stvaranje tehničkih uvjeta u mreži; STUM) – the contribution to creating the technical conditions in the wider electricity network needed to accommodate the new connection.
Depending on the voltage level, investors pay fee comprising of one or both components.
|
Where you connect |
What you pay for |
Unit price (EUR) |
|
Low voltage grid (0.4 kV) |
Connection works + system costs |
193/kW |
|
Medium voltage grid (10–35 kV)
|
Connection works + system costs |
96.50/kW |
|
System costs for high and very high voltage grid |
9.50/kW |
|
|
Combined medium voltage charge |
106.00/kW |
|
|
High voltage grid (110 kV)
|
System costs |
19/kW |
|
Connection works |
Actual construction costs |
|
For utility-scale projects connecting at high voltage, the EUR 19/kW system cost component is typically the smaller line item. The costs of connection works, determined through the Study on the Optimal Technical Connection Solution (Cro. Elaborat optimalnog tehničkog rješenja priključenja; EOTRP), drives the connection budget and remains project-specific.
Position of BESS
The Decision does not set a stand-alone unit price for battery energy storage systems (BESS), but the Methodology distinguishes two regimes with materially different economics:
- A standalone BESS connecting as a new grid user pays the standard unit price for its voltage level – the same rule as for any other connection, with chargeable capacity calculated as the higher of import or export.
- A BESS added via a separate metering point (Cro. posebno obračunsko mjerno mjesto), typically co-located with an existing generation or consumption site, pays only the actual cost of the storage connection – with no system cost charge.
For hybrid projects, the choice between these two routes can can increase or reduce the connection chargeand should be modelled at the design stage.
Why this matters
1. Predictability and transparency
- Developers and investors can now calculate connection costs from day one. , This improves early-stage budgeting and lender diligence.
- The calculation methodology is simple and applied consistently across all users nationwide.
2. Improved economics for renewables
- HERA deliberately set fees below the levels initially proposed by the transmission and distribution operators to avoid undermining the profitability of renewable projects.
- The regulator confirmed the fees do not jeopardise NECP targets and will not trigger higher electricity tariffs.
3. Support for large industry and data centres
- Lower per‑kW fees at higher voltage levels directly reduce entry costs for large consumers and producers, facilitating industrial development and grid utilisation.
4. No impact on electricity prices
- HERA confirmed the fees do not jeopardise NECP targets and will not trigger higher network tariffs and are not expected to increase electricity prices.
The Decision removes a major source of pricing uncertainty for Croatian grid connections. With clear prices, a simple capacity‑based formula and uniform application across the country, the new grid connection regime marks a clean break from the previous cost‑based and location‑dependent model. From 1 May 2026, connection costs become predictable, transparent and capable of being assessed at an early stage of project development.
Grid congestion, permitting timelines and flexible connection rules will still affect project delivery. However, sponsors and lenders now have a clearer basis for modelling connection costs for renewable energy, storage, industrial and data centre projects in Croatia.