Spanish energy developer Acciona Energía has been awarded a 12-year contract for difference (CfD) to develop the 189 MW Promina solar project, currently under construction in southern Croatia.

The project is being built in Sibenik-Knin county and will be “the country’s largest solar project by capacity upon commissioning in 2027”, Acciona Energía says.

The CfD was awarded by Croatia’s energy market operator, Hrvatski Operator Trzista Energije (HROTE), and approved by the European Commission “to accelerate the production of renewable electricity and contribute to the European Union’s decarbonization targets”. As part of the agreement, Acciona Energía will build a new 400 kV interconnection substation at the site, to connect the facility to the Croatian grid.

Acciona Energía has operated the Jelinak wind complex (30MW) in Croatia since 2013 and is also building 72 MW of new wind capacity in the country (Opor, 27 MW and Boraja II, 45 MW). Upon completion of these projects and the Promina facility, the company says it will account for around 8% of Croatia’s installed clean energy capacity and 20% of its installed solar capacity.