On June 18, 2025, ISLANDER project partner Institution Regional Energy Agency Kvarner (REAK) hosted an engaging online workshop titled “Overcoming Barriers in the Energy Transition: Experiences from the Island of Cres.” The event brought together local and regional stakeholders from the island of Cres and neighbouring islands to discuss current challenges in the energy transition and explore how technologies developed and tested in the ISLANDER project could be replicated in Croatia.

It attracted a diverse group of participants, including representatives from:

• > Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
• > Regional Development Agency of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
• > City of Cres
• > Cres-Lošinj energy cooperative “Apsyrtides”
• > Cres-Lošinj Island Development Agency
• > Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb

The first part of the webinar focused on the ISLANDER project’s implementations on Borkum. Vedran Krušvar from REAK presented the project and emphasized the replication plan that was developed for the island of Cres. Key components included smart energy systems, community energy models, and innovative technologies like sea-water-based district heating and battery-supported PV systems.

In the second part of the webinar, a discussion with local stakeholders from Cres was arranged to gain their perspective on the energy transition process on the island. Mr. Ugo Toić from the Cres-Lošinj Island Development Agency and Mr. Franjo Toić from the City of Cres provided insights on relevant obstacles, and agreed that several technologies that were carried out on Borkum might indeed be examined in the upcoming years. Mr. Ugo Toić highlighted several ongoing initiatives that are considering hydrogen-based technologies, and Mr. Franjo Toić mentioned programs being conducted by the City of Cres, which provides financial support for citizens who are investing in PV systems on their objects.

Stakeholders reflected on the progress made and the challenges faced since the adoption of two strategic planning documents:

> Clean Energy Transition Agenda for the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago (2019)

> Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) of the City of Cres (2021)

These documents outline a shared vision: to transform the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago into a smart, energy-independent region with an energy-literate population, actively involved in achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. 1. Progress Toward Vision 2040
   Participants reviewed progress made since 2019. A key pillar of the transition is local electricity production, particularly through the development of non-integrated solar power plants. Although five projects with a total capacity of 22.5 MW were planned by 2022, none have been realized. This lack of implementation significantly delays the goal of energy self-sufficiency.

1. 2. Integration of Renewable Energy in Buildings
   The strategy also includes integrated PV systems on public, commercial, and residential buildings. While such systems are seen as replicable from other projects (e.g. Borkum), neither the transition plan nor the SECAP mentions battery storage as a complement to solar investments. Stakeholders discussed whether any such storage projects have been initiated on the island.

1. 3. Development Since 2019
   In 2019, there were only a handful of solar systems installed (1 public building, 7 businesses, and 2 homes). The session explored to what extent this situation has improved over the past six years.

1. 4. Regulatory Challenges in Protected Areas
   Cultural heritage protections on many buildings in the region present barriers to implementing energy efficiency measures and installing renewable systems. Stakeholders considered how these legal constraints affect investment and planning.

1. 5. Hydrogen Technologies for Storage
   The potential role of hydrogen-based energy storage was explored, though it is not yet widely considered in local planning documents. Discussions addressed whether such technologies could be integrated in the future.

1. 6. General Impressions and Remaining Challenges
   The conversation concluded with reflections on the obstacles that continue to slow progress on Cres and the gap remaining between current conditions and the 2040 carbon neutrality target. While some progress has been made, structural, financial, regulatory, and organizational barriers still need to be addressed.

All in all, the workshop was a valuable opportunity to gather feedback, foster exchange, and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders working toward a common energy transition goal in the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago. By facilitating dialogue between local actors and showcasing successful implementations from the ISLANDER project on Borkum, the event underscored the importance of knowledge transfer and replication in accelerating the clean energy transition on islands.