The European Union, when it comes to the water and utility sector, continues to accept more and more stringent regulations that members need to adopt in order to improve water supply and drainage and, consequently, protect water and the environment. One of the last regulations fine-tuning that area again is the Directive on the quality of water intended for human consumption. It entered into force at the beginning of 2021, set new rules for changes in the permitted concentrations of certain parameters in drinking water and introduced new relations in water testing. This was one of the highlights of the Third Conference on Water Treatment, Preparation, Purification and Protection, Water Supply and Sewage Water on the Palm of a Hand, which was held in our organization in Zagreb on 30 November.

In addition, there was also talk about protection against legionella, the problem of sludge in wastewater treatment, the removal of microplastics from water, sustainability when it comes to water supply, blue-green solutions for the requirements of European regulations and the dangers that threaten Kopački Rit. It was also shown how solar energy is used in the Vukovar water supply system, how waste water treatment was solved in Poreč and how the first Croatian biological pool was created in Čazma. Finally, some of the solutions and procedures for purifying water and preserving the quality of water supply pipes offered by well-known global manufacturers were presented.

Risk management is the key to successful business, and challenges brought by numerous geopolitical, economic, climate or regulatory factors make management an even more delicate task. All this could be heard live, at a round table entitled 'The Most Important Business Risks in 2024 - Management Strategies in Croatian Companies', organized by the association XEnergy - Empowering Women in Energy Transition.

At the event held on 24 November at the Clubhouse Golf in Zagreb, the opinions of top managers from large Croatian corporations could be heard. All of them touched on potential risks in business, especially the risks associated with the so-called ESG criteria (environmental, social and governance). The green transition and regulatory risks are posed as challenges in business that should be paid attention yet in the next year.

In the specials of the www.energetika-net.com portal in November you can read:

• an interview with Ashkan Hosseini, CFO and member of the Management Board of E.ON Hrvatska

• about Robur gas absorption heat pumps as heating solutions and in scenarios of reducing the use of fossil fuels

• about the quality of the new TECE toilet flush plates, which are accompanied by a superior design

• about the application of Oventrop pressure-independent regulation valves Cocon QTZ that enable automatic hydraulic balancing

• about problems with the application of PV plants in case of storms, especially hail

• a comment on the topic of increasingly prevalent ESG criteria in business.

The beginning of November brought great stories for which we had to go to two different parts of Croatia: the very north and the east.

The first took place on 8 November and it was the opening of a new office building of the Plinotehnika company in Ivanovac near Čakovec. The new building will house plant for the production of gas infrared heaters and other gas equipment, as well as part of the office space and an exhibition area with Vaillant heating equipment and Weber grilling equipment. Plinotehnika has been operating for almost half a century (it was founded in 1975) and all these years it has achieved success in the field of gas equipment production and gas installation. The significance and importance of the company for the local community was clearly shown by the great interest of the guests, as well as the speakers who spoke at the opening ceremony of the new production plant

The second event took place on 11 November and was the first workshop of the project 'Mapping of Shallow Geothermal Systems in the Republic of Croatia' or PLIGES for short, which was held at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technologies of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek. The goal of this project, in which the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture and the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering of the University of Zagreb and the company TT Inženjering participate, is to create a database and a GIS map of implemented systems that utilize the heat of shallow geothermal sources, i.e. shallow layers of soil and groundwaters. It is energy from the immediate surroundings, which can then be used for heating, domestic hot water preparation and even cooling, with the help of ground - water and water - water heat pumps. Until now, there was no such database and map, so when they will be completed, it will significantly facilitate the design and implementation of such systems.

A plan of conferences that ENERGETIKA MARKETING will organize in 2024 has been prepared. The plan is made so that everyone can find something for themselves:
• BRIGHT FUTURE: 15 February, Zagreb, The Antunović Congress Centre
• FORUM ON GAS: 21 March, Zagreb, The Antunović Congress Centre
• BIOMASS & BIOGAS: 18 April, Zagreb, The Antunović Congress Centre
• PRESSURE EQUIPMENT: 23 May, Zagreb, The Antunović Congress Centre
• QIRT 2024: 1 - 5 July, Zagreb, The International Hotel
• NEW ERA OF TRANSPORT: 10 October, Zagreb, The Antunović Congress Centre
• POWER & ENERGY MASTERS: 6 - 8 November, Vodice, The Imperial Park Hotel.