After HEP set up an ultra-fast charging station, Vukova Gorica has become one of the most important hubs for e-mobility in the whole of the Republic of Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes on the 13th of February, 2020, HEP, in collaboration with INA, is the very first in Croatia to launch the fastest and most technologically advanced ultra-fast electric car charging station on Croatian motorways, located at Vukova Gorica.

The impressive 175 kW charging station allows a person to charge an electric car in a mere fifteen minutes. There are several similar charging stations located in various places across Croatia, but they aren't public in their nature, they instead serve the internal needs of corporate fleets, mainly rent-a-car and taxi companies.

At the same location, at the Vukova Gorica rest stop (odmoriste) along the A6 Zagreb-Rijeka highway, four HEP high-speed AC/DC charging stations with individual power of 50 kW have been operational since last year.

HEP's first ultra-fast charging station has been set up as part of an international NEXT-E project which is co-funded by European Union funds. It has two standardised DC ports (ChaDeMo and CCS) and can charge an electric vehicle at 175 kW. The charging speed of such a charger depends on the capabilities and characteristics of each vehicle's battery. Vehicles that can take full advantage of ultra-fast charging can on average charge their batteries in about fifteen minutes to a level that allows for 200 kilometres of onward travel.

"The ultra-fast charging station for electric car drivers, our fellow residents and our visitors, minimises the time spent at the rest stop and allows them to reach their destinations as quickly as possible. That's why we plan to install several more charging stations of this level of power or of an even greater level of power along the motorways. We're the first in Croatia to recognise the importance of traffic electrification, and to date, we've installed more than 120 public ELEN stations in Croatian cities, interurban roads and motorways,'' said Frane Barbaric, CEO of HEP.

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ZAGREB, December 20, 2019 - A ceremony was held in Zagreb on Thursday to mark the start of construction work on a combined co-generation unit at the Zagreb KKE EL-TO combined power and heating plant, an investment worth 900 million kuna (approx. 121 million kuna).

The new, high-efficiency block, with a capacity of 150 megawatts of electricity and 114 megawatts of heating energy is the single biggest investment of the state-owned HEP power company in new production facilities in the last 10 years, it was said at the ceremony, which was attended, among others, by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and HEP Management Board chair Frane Barbarić.

The expected average annual output of the new block is 675 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity, 450 GWh of heating energy for Zagreb's central heating system, and 160 GWh of industrial steam. The electricity produced by this unit will meet the consumption demand of close to 200,000 households.

Thanks to its most modern Siemens technology of combined co-generation, the new block will save up to 25% of primary energy from natural gas. Also, once its old and inefficient units are the Zagreb KKE EL-TO combined power and heating plant will emit considerably less carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

The project is to be financed with loans granted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with guarantees having been provided by the European Fund for Strategic Investments, the main platform of the European Commission's Investment Plan for Europe.

The contract on construction work and a contract on long-term maintenance were signed in July 2018 with the Italian company FAT S.p.A.

PM Plenković said that this was yet one more major investment in the national energy system, expressing satisfaction that, in line with the national energy strategy, HEP's activities were directed at renewable energy sources.

Barbarić said that the investment would bring multiple benefits, notably for 80,000 residents of the western part of Zagreb, who in the long run would obtain a safer source of heat.

He said that this was HEP's biggest but not only investment in power plants, citing in that context the Kastelir solar power plant in Istria, which has been put into operation, construction work on a power plant on Vis island that is nearing completion, as well as work on the Korlat wind power plant, which is also nearing completion. Three solar power plants are to be built on the island of Cres and preparations are under way for the construction of a solar power plant near Vrlika, said Barbarić.

All projects, including the one in Zagreb, are part of HEP's scenario of development of renewable energy sources, as part of which power plants with the capacity of 1,500 megawatts will be built until 2030, he said.

Asked by reporters about problems with heat supply in Novi Zagreb, Barbarić said that currently work was underway on absorbing around 64 million euro from EU funds, on which contracts should be signed in a month or two, to replace 62 kilometres of district heating pipes in Zagreb, which would help remove the problem.

HEP will provide an additional HRK 150 million of its own funds to renovate heating pipes in Zagreb, Barbarić said, recalling that HEP had so far invested 10 million euro to install new heating pipes in Osijek.

More Zagreb news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Renewable energy sources are increasingly being harnessed on the Croatian coast, where there is ample wind and sun. In addition to wind power plants, which are multiplying every year, the construction of solar power plants is also on the rise.

There is one plant in Istria, which became operational in 2018, and three more will produce electricity in early 2020: on the islands of Cres and Vis and near Vrlika according to Morski on November 26, 2019. With investments of HRK 80 million, Croatian Electric Company (HEP) will add four new power plants to their network with a total capacity of 11.6 megawatts (MW). In the long term, they plan to complete solar power projects with a total power of 350 MW by the end of 2030.

The Kaštelir solar power plant has a capacity of 1 MW and an expected annual production of about 1.5 million kWh, which will meet the electricity needs of about 500 households. The power plant is equipped with solar panels manufactured by the Solvis company in Varaždin. This plant has been operating since December 2018. It has a contract with HROTE (Croatian Energy Market Operator) as a preferred producer within their incentive system. Here is an aerial video of the plant.

The location permit for the Cres solar power plant was obtained in June 2018 and that plant is being developed by the County of Primorje-goranska. The location of SE Cres is about 2 kilometers north of the settlement Orlec on the island of Cres. The power plant is 6.5 MW with an expected production capacity of 8.5 million kWh per year, which will meet the electricity needs of about 2,500 households. The total value of the investment is HRK 41 million. Preparatory work on the site is underway and the power plant will begin operating in 2020. Here is a simulation of the Cres power plant.

The Vis solar power plant will be located on the hill of Grizova Glavica, near the village of Žena Glava, about 3.6 kilometers southwest of the town of Vis and about 4.8 kilometers east of Komiža. HEP purchased the project from Končar-Obnovlji izvori energie (Končar Renewable Energy). The expected annual output is 4.2 million kWh, which will meet the needs of about 1,400 households. This investment is valued at HRK 25.3 million. The power plant is under construction and is expected to be operational by February 2020.

The Vrlika Jug solar power plant represents the completion of the first phase of planned construction in the southern part of the Kosora working zone in the town of Vrlika. The power plant will have 2.1 MW of power and an estimated annual output of about 2.9 million kWh. Construction will be completed in the first half of 2020, according to HEP.

For more information on HEP solar plant projects, check out their website here.

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ZAGREB, October 6, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Saturday visited the construction site of the HEP power company's Korlat Wind Farm near Benkovac, which is worth HRK 500 million, will have 58 MW of power and be put into operation in August 2020.

The expected annual output of 170 GWh, or 1% of the annual electricity consumption in Croatia, will be enough to supply more than 50,000 households, HEP said in a press release.

"This investment... is indeed important because it shows that HEP, as Croatia's strongest and most important energy company, has a good understanding of the context of Croatia's new energy development strategy, which is being prepared, as well as of our focus on renewable energy sources, in line with our global commitments and European trends," Plenković said.

"That's why the inauguration of works on the Korlat Wind Farm and the preparation of the Korlat Solar Power Plant project are important for supplying 50,000 with electricity as well as for following global and ecological trends in energy development. I'm glad this investment contributes to GDP growth in Croatia," he added.

The wind turbines will be made, delivered and put into operation by the German company Nordex, while the Korlat Wind Farm will be built by two Croatian companies, Ing-Grad and Fractal.

HEP CEO Frane Barbarić said the company was developing a number of other wind farms to be built by 2030, increasing output by 1,500 MW, half of which from wind farms and solar power plants.

By 2030, HEP plants to produce 350 MW of power in wind farms and as much in solar power plants, the equivalent of the output of the Krško nuclear power plant. One of the solar power plants HEP is developing will be built next to the Korlat Wind Farm and its output would be 75 MW.

The combined power of the two plants using renewables will make Korlat a unique location for the production of green energy in Croatia. The investment is estimated at 480 million kuna, HEP said.

HEP is currently building the Vis Solar Power Plant and will soon begin work on two more, Cres and Vrlika Jug.

The company expects that by 2030 the share of renewables in its production will increase by 50% and that annual production from renewables will go up from 6 to 9 billion kWh.

More energy news can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, June 11, 2019 - Eight men have been suspected of jeopardising public safety and doing hazardous construction works, which resulted in the death of three workers of the Dubrovnik hydro-power plant Plat in January, according to a press release issued by the Dubrovnik County police directorate on Monday.

Media outlets have reported that one of the two suspects is a member of the HEP power provider's management board and another was a former director in that company.

The police stopped short of identifying the suspects.

The two prime suspects are likely to be placed in police custody on Tuesday.

The three workers were killed in the disaster when the fire broke out in the plant in the morning of 10 January. The first victim was found inside the plant on the same day. The body of the second victim was found in the seawater off Dubrovnik, and the corpse of the third victim was found in the plant's drainage canal on 13 January after an extensive search operation involving local police, Croatia's Mountain Rescue Service, firefighters, local residents and medical teams.

Another seven people sustained light injuries in the blaze, and huge material damage was caused to the plant.

More Dubrovnik news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

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.

More energy news can be found in the Business section.

ZAGREB, January 14, 2019 - The body of the third worker who died in a fire which broke out at the Dubrovnik hydro-power plant on Thursday morning was found in the plant's drainage canal on Sunday evening after an extensive search operation involving local police, the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, firefighters, local residents and medical teams, the Dubrovnik police stated on Sunday evening.

The three workers were killed in the disaster when the fire broke out in the plant at 9 am Thursday.

The body of the first victim was found at 2 pm in the drainage canal while the body of the second victim was recovered in the late evening that day from the sea off the town of Cavtat.

After the fire broke out at the power plant in the morning, the three victims who took off their clothes and tried to exit the plant through a drainage canal, went missing.

According to the information provided by local firefighting authorities, firefighters were first trying to put the blaze under control in the 500-metre-long tunnel of the plant, and after the blaze was contained and extinguished, about 14 hrs on Thursday divers found the lifeless male body of the first victim at the power plant.

After the body of the second victim was found in the seawater, the search for the third worker was broadened to cover the coastal area off Dubrovnik.

Another three workers who sustained light injuries were transferred to the Dubrovnik hospital.

More Dubrovnik news can be found in our special section.

 ZAGREB, December 6, 2018 - The national power provider HEP is implementing a large-scale investment cycle that includes 3.6 billion kuna worth of investment in revitalising hydropower plants in Croatia, which will contribute to GDP growth, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Ozalj on Thursday at a ceremony marking the launch of power generator B at the Ozalj 1 hydropower plant on the Kupa river.

The new power generator was added to the plant which is marking the 110th anniversary of its existence.

HEP has so far invested 1.4 billion kuna and will invest an additional 2.2 billion kuna over the next 10 years, the prime minister said at the ceremony in Ozalj, 50 kilometres south of Zagreb.

Plenković said that the upgrade work on this power plant was worth 60 million kuna and would prolong the plant's working life.

"Croatia wants to strengthen its hydropower capacity and continue this trend in the coming years, which is also excellent on the European level. We have already met the EU target for 2030 regarding energy from renewable sources," the prime minister said.

In 2014, EU member states agreed on a new renewable energy target of at least 27% of the EU’s final energy consumption by 2030, as part of the EU's energy and climate goals for 2030.

Speaking of HEP's investment cycle and its contribution to national economic growth, Plenković said that when it came to "the strategic triangle: fiscal consolidation, structural reforms and investment, emphasis should be put on investment as the driver of growth and development and eventually employment."

HEP management board chairman Frano Barbarić said that the company would further develop itself in the production of electricity from renewables.

He recalled the company's project of the construction of a solar power station on the northern Adriatic island of Cres, the first in a series of planned power plants to run on solar power and other renewables.

At a contract-signing ceremony on Cres in late June, Brbarić said then that by 2050 HEP would produce 70% of electricity from renewable resources.

The power plant will be built on an area of 17 hectares and will have a capacity of 6.5 megawatts. That is 6.5 times more than the largest existing plant of this type in the country. It will produce an average of 8.5 million kilowatt hours a year, which is approximately the consumption of 2,000 households.

For more on renewable sources of energy in Croatia, click here.

HEP's Distribution System Operator (ODS) plans for investing in Croatia include more than 60 million kuna by 2021 in Hvar alone.

As Darko Bicak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 27th of October, 2018, in the period between 2018 to 2021, HEP Group will be investing in Croatia almost six billion kuna in the power grid throughout Croatia, as was recently announced in Stari Grad, Hvar.

HEP has pointed out that by investing in Croatia such a large sum, of which approximately four billion kuna will be poured into distribution and more than 1.8 billion kuna into the transmission network, HEP will create the proper preconditions for the further development of the Croatian economy, the country's tourism, and the security of the supply of both existing and future consumers throughout Croatia.

In the coastal areas and islands alone, HEP intends to invest about 1.2 billion kuna by 2021, this cash injection will directly contribute to the security of existing and future customers, have a significant impact on the development of tourism and the economy, and will also aid in the intended creation of a better quality of life and to the population survival of the country's many islands.

Of this huge amount, almost one billion kuna will be spent on the country's power grid, on renewable energy sources, and on more fueling stations for electric vehicles on the Adriatic.

HEP has emphasised that Croatian companies are very much involved in the implementation of the aforementioned large investments, and that these investments have been confirmed to be one of the most important drivers of the Croatian economy. The HEP-Operator Distribution System (HEP ODS) is planning to invest as much as 800 million kuna in the distribution network in the country's coastal areas in the period between 2019 and 2021, while over the coming decade, the plan is to invest a massive total of two billion kuna.

Investing in Croatia - and its islands

During the same period, HEP ODS plans to lay down 33 kilometres of submarine cables at a cost of about 43 million kuna, while for the period between 2022-2028, they plan to lay down 124 kilometres of submarine cables, totaling about 161 million kuna, or about 200 million kuna in the next 10 years.

An additional 339 million kuna will be invested by the Croatian Transmission System Operator (HOPS) by 2021, in exchange for high voltage submarine cables. In the Dalmatian network alone in 2018, HEP invested a massive 238 million kuna, and a total of about 500 million kuna was invested in the system of the entire coast.

HEP ODS plans to invest more than 60 million kuna into Hvar alone by 2021. These investments will include the reconstruction of TS Stari Grad, and then the reconstruction of the network on the southeastern part of the island with 15 TSs. The most significant investment of 40 million kuna will go to the construction of TS Hvar. In addition, the laying of the Podgorica submarine cable will also take place, at a value of 12 million kuna.

 Click here for the original article by Darko Bicak for Poslovni Dnevnik

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The upgraded plant will comply with the latest environmental standards.