One of the first phases of the Plomin C project was that it had to be accepted by the Croatian government. Due to the necessity of additional energy sources, Ministry of Spatial Planning and Construction approved HEP's Environmental Impact Assessment of the project in the middle of June, 2012. At the same time, the Environment and Nature Protection Minister, Mihael Zmajlovic, said that opting for coal instead of other raw materials was a „more rational and cost effective” way of operating the Plomin C. The newest technologies that would be used in the construction of the plant should assure that the environmental damage is minimal, pointed out the Minister.