Enhancing environmental protection and people’s living conditions by using renewable energy sources is the focus of a cross border project between Croatia and BiH that has now taken an important step forward. The equipment for the use of renewable energy sources, purchased and installed through the project ” Protection of nature and globalisation of renewable energy sources – PROGRES”, was officially put into operation in the Sports hall “LUKE” in Gracanica today.
The project is funded by the European Union through the IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina, and jointly implemented by the Development Association NERDA, Municipality Gracanica and Municipality Kalesija.
The main project activity was to equip the demonstration facilities with solar collectors and photovoltaic panels for the use of the renewable energy sources in the beneficiary municipalities. This investment ensured heating of the sanitary water and improved heating in the Sports hall “LUKE”, demonstration facility in Municipality Gracanica. Also, the consumption of the electrical and heat energy will be reduced by using this equipment.
The project aims to raise public awareness on the importance of using renewable energy sources in rural cross-border areas, through education of representatives of local governments, businesses and farmers in these areas, and also to encourage energy independence of local governments.
The ceremony to mark the occasion was attended by Mayor of Gracanica, Nusret Helic, Mayor of Nijemci from Croatia, Ivica Klem, Minister of Physical Planning and Environmental Protection of Tuzla Canton, Zvijezdan Karadžina, Director of NERDA, Enes Drljević and Programme Manager for the Cross-Border Cooperation Programmes in the EU Delegation to BiH, Edbera Bikovic.
Following welcome remarks, the Mayor of Gracanica and Ms Bikovic officially revealed the plaque with the title of the project and the European Union as main donor.
The total value of the project in BiH is € 244,827.13, out of which EU funded 85% in the amount of € 208,103.00.
NERDA is the project leader in BiH, while the Municipalities Gracanica and Kalesija are partners and co-founders of the project. In Croatia, the project was implemented by Municipality Nijemci with partners: Development Agency of Vukovar-Srijem County HRAST, ECO SYSTEM d.o.o. and the Energy Institute “Hrvoje Pozar”.
