On July 8, 2022, having successfully applied for the Energy and Climate Change Programme, Viktor Lenac Shipyard concluded a Grant Agreement with the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds. The grant was awarded for the purpose of implementing a Seawater Heat Pump System Project, which is financed from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021.

Project Title: Seawater Heat Pump Systems - Viktor Lenac Shipyard
Reference Number: 97
Project Start Date: June 1, 2022
Project Finish Date: March 31, 2024
Total Project Value: EUR 480,312.54
Total Grant Amount: EUR 232,583.52
Programme Operator: Viktor Lenac Shipyard

Viktor Lenac Shipyard is one of the largest Croatian shipyards and one of the leading shipyards for ship repairs and conversion, offshore construction and repairs and steel structure production in the Mediterranean. The main activity is construction, overhaul, repair, conversion, and other services related to ships and floating crafts. Shipyard is also registered for organization activities, trade, engineering, and other services.

Aimed at improving energy efficiency in production processes and capacity strengthening to manage sources of renewable energy sustainability, Shipyard has applied for the programme to implement a pilot project and realize an investment in renewable energy technology of seawater-powered energy systems - Seawater Heat Pump Systems or SWHP technology used for heating and cooling.

The planned works will be carried out with the purpose to improve the central heating system and upgrade the system to cooling mode intended for four (4) buildings situated in the Stara Martinscica zone (TOST 2), which is part of the technological complex of the Viktor Lenac Shipyard, under concession of maritime domain.

Currently, the buildings (workshops and office spaces) are heated in a heat transfer process that uses thermal energy from a water-to-water heat pump and electric boilers with a required output of 280 kW (of which 100 kW is used from heat pumps). The existing heat pump uses thermal energy from process water which is further used in the flow system to maintain a minimum temperature of 3°C, however, due to high costs of process water, the heat pump is neither profitable nor energy efficient, and the project goal is to give a specific solution to the identified problem.

The installation of SWHP systems will enable that the temperature of the heat source remains relatively constant throughout the year. Due to more favourable seawater temperature parameters compared to process water, the heat performance factor of the seawater-water heat pump is high.

The project goal is to improve the central heating system by installing SWHP systems to transfer heat from seawater for heating and cooling building spaces in the Stara Martinscica zone (TOST 2) to use other renewable energy sources.

• Reducing electricity consumption by 155,872 kWh/year
• Reducing CO2 by 36,600 kg/year
• Decreasing heating costs (electricity) through eliminating or significantly reducing use of electric boilers and electric resistance heating
• Decreasing operating costs (maintenance and energy-generating product prices) and upgrading the central system to cooling mode

Person responsible for project implementation: Sandra Uzelac
Project manager: Zdenko Vidmar
Accounting specialist: Divna Pjevalica
Energy specialist: Zoran Dorčić
Project coordinator: Alen Karnjuš
Administrative assistant: Karmen Vlastelica Nimčević