Chair:
Vice-chair: Prof. Mladen Zeljko, Ph.D. / Prof. Zoran Čogelja, Ph.D.
Administrator: Gordana Poletto Ružić 4895 144, e-mail: gpoletto@hazu.hr
The task of the Council
Main tasks of the Scientific Council for oil and gas economy and energy of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts are: encouraging, improving, assisting, and organizing scientific research related to the field of oil and gas economy as well as energy in general. The Scientific Council brings together scientific and professional institutions, organizations and companies, as well as scientific and professional workers in the fields of oil and gas exploration and acquisition, oil processing and the application of its derivatives, the use of gas for energy and petrochemical purposes, the production, transmission and distribution of energy from both conventional and renewable sources, energy efficiency and planning as well as environmental protection, all with the aim of promoting the results achieved in these areas. The areas in which the Scientific Council operates relate to all phases of research and production processes of total primary energy or its efficiency as well as to the constant care of environmental protection:
- hydrocarbon exploration;
- obtaining, collecting and transporting hydrocarbons;
- geothermal water exploration, production and use of geothermal energy;
- transport and storage of oil, natural gas and petroleum products,
- oil and natural gas in energy and their economic, political and social significance;
- petrochemicals;
- oil refining and production of petroleum products, their consumption, imports and exports;
- oil and gas in Croatia’s long-term energy balance;
- production of energy from conventional and unconventional sources;
- energy transmission and distribution;
- renewable energy sources;
- energy efficiency;
- energy planning;
- environmental protection;
- economics of the energy economy
In its work, the Scientific Council acts in accordance with the principle that all scientific research from fundamental and applied to development-technological is interconnected. The main focus in its work is on the possibility of transferring scientific solutions directly to the appropriate production processes for their improvement. By participating in the development and promotion of scientific work in social bodies and the economy, the Scientific Council supports the upbringing of young scientific staff and creates conditions that will enable wide versatile and creative work for scientists based on a modern scientific approach.
Council activities
- July 1 July 2021 The Council organized an online Roundtable
How to use EU funds for just transition fund in Croatia
at which presentations were held
Prof. Igor Dekanić, Ph.D.: Market challenges and energy transition
Ivan Medarac, MS: How to use the Just Transition Fund in Croatia
Davor Žmegač, Ph.D. / Nenad Marinović: Petrokemija d.d. Kutina-Energy Transition
Council organization
In order to achieve the basic tasks, the activities of the Scientific Council are organized in sections.
- Section I for geology, geophysics and geochemistry includes methods, technologies of geological, geophysical, and geochemical research and integrating their results to find oil and gas and assess the potential of geothermal deposits. This objective is substantially contributed by monitoring scientific developments that contribute to the identification of origins, the identification of migration paths and deposits of oil, gas and physical indicators related to geothermal water deposits. Assessing research projects, along with discussions on legislation to improve the success of discovering new and economic use of stocks already discovered, is one of the important objectives of the Section.
- Section II of petroleum mining includes technology for making and equipping wells on land and sea, testing methods in wells, then technology for obtaining oil, gas, and geothermal water. Furthermore, it includes modern laboratory research and the application of methods of increasing the exhaust from hydrocarbon deposits, the technology of gathering, processing, storage and transport of oil and gas, the exploitation of geothermal deposits, underground gas storage, environmental protection in oil mining and activities in the waters.
- Section III for oil refining includes oil valuation, quality and standardization of petroleum products, achievement of optimum in oil processing with existing technologies, selection of optimal locations, technology and capacity of oil processing plants, analysis of oil and petroleum products in energy, environmental protection in oil processing and application of petroleum products. In addition to production, it includes imports, consumption, and export of petroleum products.
- Section IV for petrochemicals includes: an analysis of the current state of technical and technological conditions, raw material sources and markets; the determination of strategic principles of development with regard to the specific characteristics of the petrochemical industry and new political and market circumstances; the definition of development and research programs for the development of products and technologies on the principle of rational exploitation of raw material resources and on the basis of the results of its own research.
- The section for the production, transmission and distribution of energy includes the production of electricity and heat in fossil fuel-powered power plants and cogeneration plants (coal, oil, gas), renewable energy sources and nuclear thermal power plants, followed by electricity generation in hydroelectric power plants, hydrokinetic power plants, wind and photovoltaic solar power plants. The emphasis is on optimal representation of individual sources in the energy mix in normal and distributed production, while meeting the requirements of energy safety, economy, and environmental protection. Biofuel, hydrogen-based fuel, and nuclear fuel cycle facilities are also covered. Transmission of electricity, oil, gas, and new energy products over longer distances in a cost-effective and safe manner with minimal environmental impact. Adapting the transmission network to renewable sources and distributed production with reduced transmission losses. Distribution of electricity, heat, classical and advanced liquid, and gaseous energy products to final consumers. Development of energy storage infrastructure (electrical, thermal, chemical) and support for diversification of energy products in the transport sector. Adapting energy infrastructure to initiatives, such as advanced networks and advanced cities (“smart grids and smart cities”).
- Section for renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and environmental protection: topics within the scope of work of the section are renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and environmental protection. Renewable energy sources include solar energy (thermal conversion, passive systems, and photovoltaic cells), bioenergy (biomass and biogas), hydropower (small hydropower plants), wind turbines, geothermal energy, and hydrogen, as well as small cogeneration systems, waste energy and wave energy. The work of the section will include sustainable development of energy and circular economy, strategic and integral energy planning and environmental protection, planning and implementation of policies and measures for the path to a low-carbon competitive economy, energy impact on the environment, climate change, biodiversity, nature and ‘Natura2000’ areas, energy efficiency and other measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, integrated energy climate policy and its impact on other industries, the development of environmental technologies, sustainable transport systems in cities, low-carbon vehicles and alternative fuels and techniques to reduce pollutant emissions.
- VII. The section for energy planning and economics of the energy economy includes energy planning as an interdisciplinary activity involving many different professional and scientific disciplines that need to act in concert in the simulation and optimization process of energy system analysis and research. The section’s work includes analyses and technologies of geological, geophysical, and geochemical research with the aim of finding fossil energy products and geothermal deposits, then elaborating these deposits and the technology of their acquisition as well as geothermal waters and their processing, transport, and energy markets. Given the complexity of the energy system and the importance for the economy, i.e., society, analyses and planning are carried out on modern platforms based on the latest technical and technological and scientific knowledge and developed technologies. The results of research and analysis become the basis for defining the strategy and strategic commitments and implementation plans for the development of an energy system based on healthy economic relations within the economy, i.e., the economic policy of the country.
Research, acquisition and exploitation of geothermal water and the use of geothermal energy are addressed by Sections I, II, V, VI and VII.
The Assembly of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts passed, at its session held on 6 April 2017, the Decision on the joining of the Scientific Council for Crude Oil and Gas and the Scientific Council for Power Supply into the new Scientific Council for Crude Oil and Gas Economy and Power Supply. Based on this Decision, members of the newly formed Scientific Council passed, at their first, founding session held on 21st June 2017, the Decision on the adoption of the Scientific Council’s Rule Book, whereby the Council began operating.
On 29 May 2019, the Presidency of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts decided on the appointment of new members of the Scientific Council for Oil and Gas Economy and Energy of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts for a term of four years.
Executive Board (June 2017. – 2021.)