ZAGREB, 29 Oct (Hina) - Five Croatian cities -- Križevci, Krapina, Ludbreg, Varaždin and Dubrovnik -- will receive a total of 29 electric buses worth €20.17 million under co-financing agreements for the purchase of vehicles powered by alternative fuels, signed on Tuesday.

The agreements were signed by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković and Dragan Jelić, head of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for EU Programmes and Projects, along with representatives of local public transport operators.

Under the agreements, Križevci will receive three electric buses, Krapina two, Ludbreg five, Varaždin seven and Dubrovnik 12.

Another agreement was signed between the Transport Ministry, the Central Finance and Contracting Agency and the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund as part of the Project for Co-financing the Purchase of New Vehicles Using Alternative Fuels. The project is worth €21.24 million and includes plans to purchase 2,000 new vehicles powered by alternative fuels.

Minister Butković said the projects aim to modernise public urban and suburban transport, reduce CO2 emissions, improve energy efficiency and secure alignment with EU sustainable mobility standards.

"We've started signing agreements for 17 Croatian cities for the procurement of electric buses worth over €200 million, which will bring around 150 new buses," Butković said, adding that the government is enabling these purchases through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and EU funds.

He noted that an additional agreement was signed with the Environmental Fund for the procurement of 2,000 new electric vehicles, with a public call for co-financing already conducted for legal entities.

Similar agreements for alternative-fuel buses are being prepared for another eleven cities, and Butković announced that further funding rounds would follow for the same purpose, including from other sources.

Plans also include the procurement of new ships powered by alternative fuels.