Original article (in Croatian) was published on 3/2/2026; Author: Ladislav Tomičić
The Croatian government’s decision clearly states that decommissioned equipment is being donated, while the Municipality of Kostrena has emphasised that the Rijeka thermal power plant will not be restarted.
On 23 January, a Croatian Facebook user posted a screenshot bearing the headline: “By decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Rijeka power plant has been donated to Ukraine.”
In some instances, users sharing the screenshot also included a link to an article published on 21 January by the weekly Nacional under the headline: “PLENKOVIĆ’S GIFT: ‘By decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, a power plant in Rijeka has also been donated to Ukraine,’” reporting on the Government’s decision to provide technical support to Ukraine’s energy system.
A headline stating that the Government has “donated a power plant” to Ukraine – particularly when presented without context or explanation – is misleading, as it may lead readers to assume that the Rijeka facility will be operated by Ukraine for its own needs.
Kostrena: “This Does Not Concern the Restarting of the Thermal Power Plant”
Residents of Kostrena, the municipality where the Rijeka power plant is located, interpreted the information in this way. The Municipality of Kostrena therefore issued a public statement, which reads:
“Following media reports about the decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia to donate assets from the thermal power plants in Rijeka and Sisak to the Ukrainian energy company DTEK, which have caused concern among some residents of Kostrena, the Municipality of Kostrena considers it important to respond in order to prevent incorrect interpretations of this decision and unnecessary public anxiety. It is particularly important to clearly emphasise that this does not concern the restarting of the thermal power plant in Kostrena nor its recommissioning. The decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia relates exclusively to the donation of decommissioned electrical energy equipment from the TE-TO Sisak and TE Rijeka facilities, which is technologically obsolete and previously designated for decommissioning. The decision was adopted by the Government of the Republic of Croatia, with the consent of the Management Board of HEP, on the basis of an official request from the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Croatia, with the aim of providing technical support to Ukraine’s electricity sector, which is facing exceptional challenges due to war-related destruction. The concern of residents of Kostrena and surrounding areas is understandable and justified, particularly in the context of the environmental incident that occurred during the last attempt to restart the thermal power plant, when sea and coastal pollution took place. For precisely that reason, we wish to further emphasise that this decision does not include the reactivation of the facility.”
Government Decision Refers to Decommissioned Equipment
The Government document entitled “Draft Conclusion on Technical Support to the Energy System of Ukraine” specifies what is being donated. It states:
“The Government instructs the company Hrvatska elektroprivreda, for the purpose of providing technical support to the energy system of Ukraine, to make available free of charge, through transfer of ownership to the Ukrainian energy company DTEK, decommissioned equipment in accordance with HEP’s Consolidated Report on the extraordinary write-off of tangible fixed assets as of 31 December 2025 of HEP-Proizvodnja d.o.o., in order to support Ukraine’s electricity utility in providing energy services, at the request of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Croatia.”
The issue also entered the political sphere. MP Marin Miletić of the Most party accused Prime Minister Andrej Plenković of “behaving like a drunken billionaire” and described the donation as a “strategically bad move,” arguing that Croatia imports electricity to meet its own needs while donating parts of decommissioned thermal power plants to Ukraine.
In response to media inquiries, Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP) stated that the equipment made available to Ukraine consists of parts from facilities that have not been operational for several years.
HEP: Donation Does Not Jeopardise Modernisation of TE Rijeka
HEP further clarified that the donation of old electrical equipment to Ukraine does not in any way jeopardise the modernisation of the Rijeka thermal power plant site.
“A modern hybrid facility using multiple different technologies is planned to be constructed at that location.”
In conclusion, Croatia is not donating the Rijeka power plant itself, but rather decommissioned equipment from facilities that have been out of operation for years.
The headline claiming that “the Rijeka power plant was donated to Ukraine,” when shared without context, is misleading and lacks essential clarification about what is actually being transferred. The omission of this context may cause public concern, as evidenced by the Municipality of Kostrena’s decision to issue a public statement explaining the Government’s decision.
