ZAGREB, April 8, 2019 - Croatia's HEP national electricity provider on Monday presented a new investment cycle in solar power plants valued at 750 million kuna with the first investments to be made in the Kaštelir, Cres, Vis and Vrlika Jug plants with a total power of 11.6 megawatts (MW) and a value of 80 million kuna.
HEP management board chair Frane Barbarić said that under the big investment scheme the company would invest 750 million kuna by 2023 or 150 million kuna a year for that purpose.
Of the four above-mentioned facilities, the Sabadin plant, which will now be renamed to Kaštelir has been already purchased from the former owner.
Barbaić said that it is expected that by 2030 the power plants will produce 350 MW, which is seven times more than the power currently produced by all the solar power plants in Croatia.
He added that HEP has launched a strong investment cycle in renewable energy sources and that in addition to solar plants, investments will be made in hydro-electricity power plants, wind farms and other renewables. Thus, HEP plans to start building its first wind farm this year.
Barbarić mentioned that HEP's plan to construct solar power plants on the tops of its buildings with a power of 2.1 MW, a project estimated to cost 13 million kuna.
Environment and Energy Minister Tomislav Ćorić said that the main focus of Croatia's Energy Strategy by 2030 is renewable energy sources.
We have huge energy potential from the sun and wind, Ćorić said and added that this year the ministry will subsidise "solar plants" on household roofs. This is a good investment and proof that Croatia is concerned with environment protection, he added.
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