Agriculture holds significant energy potential

Zagreb, October 7, 2025 – Nenad Ukropina, Member of the Management Board of ENNA Next, participated in the AgroRocks Conference held on Friday, October 3, 2025, in Osijek. The event was organized by the agricultural portal Agroklub. More than 600 participants gathered at the Economic Center of Osijek-Baranja County to discuss key topics shaping the future of Croatian agriculture.

Nenad Ukropina took part in the panel discussion “Untapped Potentials of Agriculture: Energy and Technology.” Other panelists included Ivan Pandurević, President of the Management Board of Agro Invest Group, Ana-Marija Špicnagel, Director of IPS Consulting, and Marina Prusina from EnergoVizija.

In his introductory remarks, Ukropina noted that the energy sector is undergoing a major transformation, comparing it to the shift from fixed-line to mobile telephony. “Just as smartphones have unlocked a range of new possibilities, the energy sector is now offering numerous new solutions and services,” he explained.

“A whole new world has opened up for agriculture when it comes to energy, because the sector has the raw materials to produce it. You can become energy self-sufficient — and what’s happening in energy today is that, if you have a production facility, you can sometimes earn even more when you’re not producing, thanks to the growing flexibility and opportunities of aggregation,” Ukropina said.

He emphasized that several agricultural companies in Croatia have already achieved remarkable results, with some reaching complete energy independence — “an impressive achievement even by European standards,” he added.

In this context, he highlighted the potential of battery storage systems integrated with solar power plants, and participation in virtual power plants, which can significantly shorten the payback period for solar investments.

“For around 2,000 to 3,000 hours a year, electricity is cheaper than gas. Moreover, there are roughly 500 hours a year when you’re actually paid to consume electricity. By taking advantage of these opportunities, you can turn energy from a cost into a source of income — but to do so, you need to act quickly and have the right partner, such as ENNA Next,” Ukropina concluded.

The full panel discussion can be viewed in the video below, and more about the conference can be found at groklub.com.