HEP Website Being Adapted for Blind and Visually Impaired Users
April the 15th, 2021 - HEP has taken a step forward in adapting its website to blind people and those who are otherwise visually impaired/partially sighted with a new project.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP) and the Association of the Blind (Zagreb) presented a special version of the HEP Supply website for customers of electricity provided by the household category "Hepi", intended for blind and partially sighted people.
As HEP announced recently, the adaptation of their "Hepi" website is part of the project of the Association of the Blind called "A Network for All", which aims to provide professional assistance to organisations that decide to adapt their websites to blind and partially sighted people.
The realisation of this project was made possible by a generous donation from HEP in the amount of 80,000 kuna, which procured sophisticated computer equipment needed for staff training and the testing of the necessary software solutions, the statement said.
The basic Hepi website and other subpages (Hepi Assistance, Families 3plus) have been adapted for this use. Additional fields for describing different images have also been programmed on the page, options for contrast for black and white text and the background, for the increase/decrease of font, for font for dyslexics etc have been introduced.
There are 17,371 registered persons in the Republic of Croatia whose cause of disability is blindness and significantly poor vision, of which almost 2,000 such individuals are totally blind and partially sighted in Zagreb and Zagreb County alone.
The President of the Management Board of HEP, Frane Barbaric, pointed out that HEP was guided in this new and praiseworthy project by the principle that all their customers have an equal right and opportunity to access their services, especially since this is represents a particularly vulnerable group of people.
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BREAKING NEWS: Man Throws Explosive in Pakrac at Two Men
January 27, 2021 – At around 9.20 am this morning, a man threw an explosive in Pakrac at two other men. The two men were injured and have been taken to Pakrac hospital
At around 9.20 am this morning, Wednesday 27 January 2021, a man threw an explosive in Pakrac, in Jana Žiške ulica. The explosive in Pakrac struck two other men. The two men were injured and were taken immediately to the Pakrac hospital. One was later transferred to Zagreb.
Details regarding the severity of the two men's injuries were released by the hospital. They said the least injured man was treated for wounds all over his body and that he has suffered damage to his eardrum, but he is not in mortal danger. His colleague did not fare so well. His injuries were so severe that the decision was made to transfer him to KBC Zagreb. He was sent there at around 1pm. He underwent surgery there. Shrapnel had damaged his legs and pierced both his abdomen and head in several places. His condition going into the night was described as stable.
The two men injured by the explosive in Pakrac are employees or sub-contractors of the national electricity supplier HEP. They are a 52-year-old and a 55-year-old. They came to the house of a 71-year-old from Pakrac with another HEP colleague to turn off the electricity, and the 71-year-old threw a bomb at them. It was necessary to take the two men with the greatest injuries to hospital immediately. The third HEP colleague received minor injuries from shrapnel caused by the blast. It is the 52-year-old man who was in a critical condition. He is a popular local man. He also lives in Pakrac. Nearby houses were damaged in the explosion, police said.
Following the incident, the 71-year-old perpetrator locked himself inside the house. Police managed to arrest him after a while.
The national electricity supplier HEP released a statement about the attack which used an explosive in Pakrac
The statement reads:
"On January 27, 2021, at around 9.15 am, three workers of HEP-Operator distribucijskog sustava doo, Elektra Križ, were attacked with an explosive device while disconnecting electricity, at the order of the supplier, at a metering point in Pakrac.
Two workers were injured in the attack and were given emergency medical assistance.
We will be able to give more information about the circumstances of the event after the police investigation.
The Management Boards of HEP dd and HEP-ODS, the leadership of the HEP Workers' Union and the Association of HEP Veterans are appalled by this event and strongly condemn the attack on HEP employees who performed their regular work properly.
HEP Group employees share their indignation and concern with the families and colleagues of the attacked workers"
Pakrac is a town in western Slavonia. It lies around 50 kilometres to the west of where the tragic discovery was made on Monday 25 January of the bodies of two local men found frozen in the snow.
TCN will be updating this story as and when we get more and relevant information.
HEP Heating Awarded Contract Worth Approximately 700 Million Kuna
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes on the 20th of November, 2020, the contract for the revitalisation of the hot water network of the City of Zagreb with a total value of 699.6 million kuna, of which 421.5 million kuna is financed by grants from EU funds, was handed to HEP Heating, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds announced.
As they pointed out on this occasion, this is the 14th largest capital strategic project of the Republic of Croatia to be signed in the programming period between 2014 and 2020, and at the same time, it represents the largest amount allocated to Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP) so far from European Union funds. According to the Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Natasa Tramisak, the implementation of this contract will revitalise 68.5 kilometres of the city's hot water network and improve the supply of 100,000 households across the City of Zagreb, which will ensure its citizens a reliable and continuous heating supply.
"With the delivery of this contract, we've signed large strategic projects worth more than 16 billion kuna, and all of them are being implemented and will be underway until 2023. Another important contract remains to be signed, and that is the construction of a broadband infrastructure network, which will be signed within a three week period,'' announced Tramisak, adding that in the next programming period between 2021 and 2027, within the set parameters and guidelines for a greener Europe, there will be a lot of support the development of such projects.
Works on the revitalisation of the hot water network of the City of Zagreb, which supplies more than 100,000 households, will be carried out over the following three years in several phases, and will include the replacement of almost a third of the existing hot water network. The works which will be performed by HEP Heating will take place in in 2021, 2022 and 2023 across an array of areas within the capital.
With this contract, the HEP Group has withdrawn funds in the amount of almost 1 billion kuna from the European Union in the last three years, and according to HEP CEO Frane Barbaric, a new high-efficiency plant worth a massive 900 million kuna will further contribute to the provision of a much better heating service in Zagreb, and the production of electricity and heat that will be put into operation in 2022.
With this revitalisation project, the technologically obsolete hot water network will be revitalised with more modern technology including the channelless laying of pre-insulated pipes, which will increase the reliability and safety of the central heating system of the City of Zagreb. This HEP Heating project will reduce heat losses by approximately 28 percent, running water replenishment losses by approximately 47 percent and the number of emergency interventions on reconstructed hot water sections by 90 percent in comparison to back in 2018.
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VIDEO: Instagram Monkey Hangs From Croatia's Highest Building
October 25, 2020 - Teenage British daredevil Adam Lockwood is the first Instagram monkey to have been filmed hanging by one hand from the 340-metre-high chimney of the thermal power plant in Plomin, Istria - the tallest building in Croatia
In the latest installment of his social media posts, teenage British Instagram monkey Adam Lockwood has posted a short video of a recent visit to Croatia. Posted to his 'thelittlenuisance' Instagram page on Friday, the video shows Adam hanging by one hand from the top of the 340-metre chimney of the thermal power plant in Plomin, Istria. The chimney is the highest structure in Croatia.
In the text which accompanies the video posting, Lockwood thanks a Croatian peer for inviting him to the country in order to tackle the climb. He also thanks the Croatian accomplice for the video footage, implying that Lockwood was accompanied on his illegal entry to the site – and filmed – by a local.
The chimney and plant are under the authority of the national Croatian electricity company HEP. Both HEP and the Croatian police are investigating how the pair gained access to the site in order to make the heart-stopping climb.
This is not the first illegal ascent Lockwood has made. This Instagram monkey has over 34, 000 followers on that particular platform and has posted pictures of himself atop buildings in Malta, Madrid, Barcelona, Edinburgh and in Italy. In previous videos he has half0heartedly used the excuse of not being able to understand 'warning' and 'no entry' signs that he comes across because he does not understand the language they are written in. If accompanied this time by a local, this is an excuse he cannot use for his climb in Istria.
Instagram monkey Lockwood said that he and his accomplice illegally entered the property of the thermal power plant at 2am to avoid the workers. The actual ascent of the chimney took two hours. The pair are said to have climbed down again the following night, having spent 21 hours within the compound. Lockwood has a further 8000 subscribers to his Youtube channel which has several videos of similar ascents he has previously made.
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3.4 Billion Kuna Investment Marks HEP's Largest Project in Modern Croatia
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 18th of October, 2020, the realisation of two megaprojects has started in Lika - the Kosinj hydropower system and the Senj 2 hydroelectric power plant have now begun, and this enormous investment from HEP is worth 3.4 billion kuna, the largest undertaken by HEP in the history of modern Croatia, as Vecernji list reports.
This year, Hrvatska elektroprivreda launched the implementation of the second phase of the Senj hydropower system, which consists of two segments; the construction of the Kosinj Hydropower System and the Senj 2 Hydropower Plant, with a total capacity of 412 MW.
HEP's largest investment in modern Croatia is worth as much as 3.4 billion kuna and the development of the project has been intermittent for several decades now. The current management of HEP, headed by President Fran Barbaric, has made investment decisions for both segments of the project and actually started the investment.
Positive decisions were obtained on the acceptability of both interventions for the environment and the ecological network, location permits were obtained, in 2019 for HES Kosinj and in 2020 for HPP Senj 2 - they explained from HEP.
Although the first shovels were recently ''put into the ground'' as part of this project, it has been going on for a long time, considering that the necessary "paperwork" part of the work started years before the works start, and will last in parallel in the coming years as the project develops. Therefore, despite the skepticism of the locals, the leaders of HEP say that now there is no going back now.
HEP's largest project in modern Croatia includes the construction of two large facilities, the Kosinj hydropower system and the Senj 2 hydroelectric power plant, tunnels, new roads, which includes the payment of compensation to all locals, the construction of a residential building and much more.
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252 Electric Vehicle Chargers Available on One Platform in Six Countries
ZAGREB, October 5, 2020 - A total of 252 fast and ultra-fast chargers in members of the NEXT-E charging infrastructure project for electric vehicles will be integrated onto e-mobility digital specialist Hubject's intercharge platform, Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP), a NEXT-E member, said on Monday.
The members of NEXT-E and Hubject have joined forces to make their combined fast and ultra-fast chargers available on one EV-charging application across six bordering countries: Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania.
According to a HEP press release, "222 multistandard fast chargers (50 kW) and 30 ultra-fast chargers (150-350 kW) will be integrated onto Hubject’s intercharge platform, the world’s largest cross-provider charging network, further enabling long-distance travel in the region."
Currently, access to EV-chargers is possible with the application of the participating company that has deployed the charger, leading to barriers in roaming and long-distance cross border EV.
The addition of 222 fast and 30 ultra-fast chargers will make it possible for users to charge their car at all charging stations of the NEXT-E project through Hubject’s intercharge platform, thus widely expanding the mobility of e-mobility customers in all NEXT-E countries.
"Interoperability and e-roaming are essential features of an efficient Electric Vehicle recharging network and provide for a seamless ‘electric journey along the European road network," said Richard Ferrer, head of the Transport Innovation Team at the Innovation & Networks Executive Agency.
"Recharging an Electric Vehicle has to be very easy, reliable and affordable for European citizens. The availability of this service on the Hubject platform is a significant step in that direction, thanks to the pioneering spirit of public and private companies representing an entire ecosystem from energy to automotive, mobility and software industries. Electromobility is becoming a reality in Europe! The European Commission and INEA will continue to support such projects and economic operators through the various programmes to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal," he added.
The NEXT-E project, co-financed by the EU's Connecting Europe Facility, includes cooperation between four energy companies - E.ON Group entities from the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia, HEP- Hrvatska elektroprivreda from Croatia, MOL Group entities from Hungary, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania and Slovenia, Petrol Group in Slovenia and Croatia - and two car manufacturers - to deploy 222 fast and 30 ultra-fast chargers in service stations across 6 Central and Eastern European countries.
HEP's network comprises over 200 ELEN chargers across Croatia. HEP financed their installation with its own funds and plans to have 250 chargers by the end of the year.
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HEP Puts into Operation Largest Solar Power Plant in Croatia
ZAGREB, Sept 11, 2020 - The HEP power company, on the southern island of Vis on Friday, put into operation the largest solar power plant in Croatia, worth HRK 31 million, 3.5 MW in power and expected to produce five million kWh of electricity a year, enough for 1,600 households.
With this first large solar power plant on a Croatian island, Vis has its own source of renewable energy and greater security of electricity supply, notably during summer when consumption is higher, it was said at the inauguration.
SE Vis is the first of seven solar power plants HEP will put into operation this year as part of an HRK 750 million cycle of building such plants from 2019 to 2023.
HEP CEO France Barbaric said the company expected to realize over HRK 4 billion in investment projects this year, a record amount, "notably projects with a large domestic component with which we are strongly contributing to the development and stability of the Croatian economy. Our focus is on projects which will improve the quality of life on the islands."
The inauguration of the largest solar power plant in Croatia is the beginning of what will happen in the next ten years, said Ivo Milatic, state secretary at the Economy Ministry.
He recalled that in 2017 the government had embarked on a new energy policy focusing on investment in green energy. "This power plant is the best example of such investment and, on behalf of the government, I congratulate HEP and Koncar on the realization of this valuable investment for Croatia's energy and economy."
Koncar is the company that built SE Vis.
HEP said a 1 MW, 1.44 MWh battery would be installed by SE Vis, the first of this size in Croatia, to balance the power supply system and keep the grid on Vis island stable.
HEP is investing about HRK 1 million in the improvement of the island's power infrastructure and next year it will invest almost HRK 30 million in numerous projects.
"SE Vis, together with the other solar power plant projects under construction, such as SE Vrlika, and those under development, such as the Bogomolje plant on Hvar island and others, will keep Split-Dalmatia County the leader in renewables in Croatia," said county head Blazenko Boban.
HEP announced that it would build additional 1,500 MW production capacities by 2030, nearly half of which would be wind parks and solar power plants, which matches the power of the Krsko Nuclear Plant.
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HEP to Construct More Solar Power Plants in Croatia Throughout 2020
As Poslovni Dnevnik/PD VL native tim writes on the 31st of July, 2020, by building such power plants, HEP can ensure that in sunny areas, the energy drawn from them can supply a large number of consumers. This is especially important, for example, on Croatia's many islands, where solar power plants can become an extremely important factor.
Given that they are efficient and don't have harmful products in the production of electricity, they have an important position in the European Green Plan, which primarily implies a significant reduction in harmful amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere.
The goal of the Green Plan adopted by the European Commission is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. This poses great challenges, but also opportunities for all member states of the European Union.
Exactly how is Croatia currently positioned in all of this?
Croatia is in sixth place, ie at the very top of the list of EU countries, according to the share of renewable energy sources in gross final energy consumption. According to Eurostat's data, for 2018, the share of RES in total gross electricity consumption in Croatia was 48 percent. In order for Croatia to meet its goal set in the Energy Development Strategy until 2030, with a view to 2050, it is necessary to build more than 1000 MW of solar power plants in the next ten years.
HEP plans to increase production from renewable energy sources by 50 percent by 2030. This goal is planned to be achieved by revitalisation, ie increasing the power and production of existing hydropower plants, the construction of new hydropower plants and significant investments in wind farms, solar power plants and other renewable sources. HEP has its Kaštelir solar power plant in operation in Istria, and this year alone, seven more will be built, and in cooperation with cities and municipalities, there will be as many as eleven new solar power plants across Croatia.
The solar power plant on the island of Vis, with a connection power of 3.5 MW, located on the Griževa glavica hill just southwest of the town of Vis, is already in trial operation. The expected annual production is about 5 million kWh of electricity, which can meet the needs of about 1,600 households. Thanks to the construction of this facility, the island of Vis received its own source of renewable energy and greater security of its own electricity supply. HEP is implementing this project in cooperation with the well known Croatian company, Končar, whose products are installed in the power plant. The value of the investment stands at 31.3 million. kuna In the next phase, a 1MW battery tank with a capacity of 1.44 MWh will be installed next to the power plant, which will be used to provide electricity balancing services and to preserve the stability of the network on the island.
In the area of the municipality of Žminj in Istria, the Marići plant, worth 9 million kuna, is about to be put into operation. It will produce about 1.2 million kWh of electricity annually, and should be commissioned during August this year.
The Kaštelir 2 solar power plant is being built at the Sabadin location in the area of the Kaštelir-Labinci municipality in Istria, and will produce 2.9 million kWh. The value of the investment is 15 million kuna. The project represents an extension of the existing SE Kaštelir, which has been in operation since back in December 2018 and in 2019, it produced 1.5 million kWh.
The Vrlika Jug solar power plant, worth 11 million kuna, represents the realisation of the first phase of the planned construction in the southern part of the Kosora Work Zone, in the area of the town of Vrlika. The connected power of the power plant will be 2.1 MW, and the expected annual production will be around 2.9 million kWh. It should start operating by the end of 2020.
The Obrovac solar power plant, worth 42.6 million kuna, is being built on the site of a former alumina factory. The expected annual electricity production of about 8.9 million kWh will be able to meet the needs of 2,800 households.
In the second half of 2020, the Stankovci solar power plant will be built. The expected annual production of 4.6 million kWh of electricity will be enough to supply 1,500 households. The value of the investment is 26.3 million kuna.
At the end of June, works were opened on the construction of the largest solar power plant in Croatia, on the island of Cres. The Cres solar power plant will contribute to strengthening the security of electricity supply and increasing the degree of energy self-sufficiency of the islands of Cres and Lošinj, especially in periods of increased consumption during the tourist seasons. The SE Cres project, worth 41 million kuna, was developed by Primorje-Gorski Kotar County until the location permit was obtained, when the project was taken over by HEP, which entrusted the construction to a consortium of PVI Solar, PVI GmbH, Intecco and Deling.
The 6.5 MW power plant will produce about 8.5 million kWh of electricity per year, which corresponds to the consumption of about 2,500 households. It covers an area of 17 hectares and is divided into 13 segments of individual power with a total of 20,330 solar panels that will be placed so as to allow for the unimpeded passage of small animals inside the solar power plant fence, as well as grazing sheep within the fenced area. Production will begin by the end of this year.
HEP cooperated with Croatian production forces on the construction of all of these power plants, and all the installed panels were from the successful Varaždin-based company Solvis.
HEP is considering the construction of two more solar power plants on the island of Cres, SE Cres 2 of 4.14 MW and SE Ustrine near Osor, with a capacity of 9.99 MW, which it is developing on the basis of a cooperation agreement with Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and Mali Lošinj.
As part of the EU INSULAE programme, HEP plans to build a 1 MW solar power plant with a battery tank on the island of Unije. This project is being developed in partnership with the Kvarner Energy Development Agency.
By 2023, HEP will invest 750 million kuna in solar power plants
Such projects are a great opportunity for all Croatian cities and municipalities, and on July the 2nd, 2020, HEP published a Public Invitation to all interested partners to express their interest in the development and sale of renewable energy projects in the Republic of Croatia, which will remain open until December the 31st, 2020. The call was sent to local self-government units for the joint preparation of development documentation for solar power plant projects, as well as legal and natural persons with slightly different criteria.
HEP decided to announce a new public call based on good experience in the response to their previous call from back in 2019. Based on the analysis of received expressions of interest and communication with local governments as potential partners, from September 2019 to April 2020, HEP signed agreements with 11 municipalities and cities on the development of solar power plant projects, with a total capacity of 120 MW.
HEP will invest 750 million kuna in the cycle of construction of solar power plants in Croatia during the period from 2019 to 2023 alone. These and other newly built HEP power plants will help meet Croatia's obligations in implementing the European Union's ambitious energy and climate goals, which were recently given their framework in the form of the European Green Plan.
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INA Generates Highest Revenue in 2019, HEP Highest Profit
ZAGREB, July 4, 2020 - The INA oil company generated the highest revenue (HRK 21.6 billion) among Croatian enterprises in 2019, the HEP power company generated the highest profit (HRK 1.1 bn) and the Konzum retail chain had the highest number of employees (9,362), according to a preliminary analysis by the Fina financial agency.
Fina processed annual financial statements submitted by June 30 by 131,701 enterprises that pay profit tax, excluding banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions.
The preliminary analysis (not all statements have been processed) shows that last year enterprises generated nearly HRK 790 billion in consolidated revenues, up 7.9% in 2018, while expenditures reached nearly HRK 752 billion, up 8.1%.
Profits totalled HRK 48.5 billion and were generated by 88,006 enterprises, while losses stood at HRK 18.6 billion and were reported by 43,695 enterprises.
Net profits totalled HRK 29.9 billion and were 1.9% higher than in 2018.
The enterprises whose statements have been processed had 958,430 employees in 2019, up 4.8% on the year. Their average net salary was HRK 5,765, up 3% on the year.
Export revenues were generated by 18,991 enterprises, totalling HRK 124.6 billion, up 6.2% from 2018, while imports totalled HRK 121.5 billion. The trade deficit was HRK 3.2 billion.
Last year enterprises invested HRK 22.3 billion in long-term assets, up 14% from 2018.
(€1 = HRK 7.56)
HEP to Invest 20 Billion Kuna in Croatia Before Year 2024
As Novac/Vedran Marjanovic writes on the 2nd of July, 2020, coronavirus threw a spanner in the works for many, but the pandemic failed to hinder Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP) in its investment plans.
Moreover, this year will be a record year in the company's history with investments of 4.9 billion kuna, said HEP's Frane Barbaric at a recent presentation of eleven of HEP's new investments in solar power plants.
''We're one of the largest investors in the country and a driver of economic development. Last year alone, we exceeded our investments when compared to the previous year by more than 40 percent, and this year and next year we're making additional strides. After that, we'll continue with the same intensity of investment, from 2021 to 2024 we plan to invest 14.5 billion kuna, all in accordance with the strategic commitment of HEP as the carrier of low-carbon energy transition in Croatia,'' announced Barbaric.
Among the company's current green investments, he singled out the Senj hydropower system project, worth 3.4 billion kuna and with an expected connection capacity of 412 megawatts of electricity.
When it comes to the company's investments in solar power plants, Barbaric announced the imminent connection to the power plant system on Vis and in Marici near Zminj.
''Our plan is to have 1,500 new megawatts of electricity from renewable energy sources in the system by 2030, of which 350 megawatts will be from solar power plants. In the part related to new solar power plants alone, we'll turn Croatia into one large construction site,'' said the President of the Management Board of HEP, drawing attention to cooperation with Croatian companies in the construction and equipping of these new renewable energy plants.
In the case of investments in eleven solar power plants presented by HEP recently, these regard investments in cooperation with municipalities and cities that responded to last year's public call to find locations for the construction of solar power plants.
As it was heard at the presentation, the interested municipalities and cities submitted letters of intent on possible locations to HEP, and then the company analysed them and made a decision on how the investment will be carried out. The options were a partnership between HEP and local self-government units, an independent investment by HEP, or an independent investment by a municipality or city itself.
From mid-last year to April 2020, HEP signed contracts for the development of solar power plants with eleven Croatian municipalities and cities. Among other things, HEP signed contracts with the municipalities of Krsan in Istria and Lipovljani in Sisak-Moslavina County. In the first case, a solar power plant with an expected connection capacity of 40 megawatts will be constructed, and in the second, a facility with a capacity of 25 megawatts will eventually come to be. In total, the inclusion of all eleven Croatian solar power plants in the system will generate 120 megawatts of new power.
A new invitation from HEP to local self-government units to express their intention to jointly invest in solar power plants is now underway. At the recent presentation of eleven joint investments from HEP and local self-government units across Croatia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Energy, Tomislav Coric, expressed his belief that HEP's new call for joint investments will result in an even better response from municipalities and cities across the country.
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