45 MW Brežice hydropower plant on river Sava inaugurated

The Brežice hydropower plant (HPP), the largest and fifth in the chain of six hydroelectric power plants on the lower Sava river, in Slovenia, was inaugurated last week. According to the Slovenian media, the construction costs are estimated at EUR 261 million. The construction of 45 MW HPP was launched in March 2014.

It is a hydroelectric power plant of the run-of-the-river and reservoir type, with three vertical generating units with a combined rated discharge of 500 m³/s, five spillways and an average annual production output of 161 GWh.

HPP Brežice will make up roughly one percent of Slovenia’s present annual electricity production and will also provide peak-load power and open up possibilities for selling ancillary services. This power plant is going to be fully automated, unmanned and remotely operated from the control centre.

The initiative to start the procedure for the preparation of the National Spatial Plan for HPP Brežice was launched in 2006.

Hidroelektrarne na Spodnji Savi (HESS), a Slovenian hydroelectric power company, was established in 2008 with the core mission to facilitate and promote the construction of new HPPs thus engaging in sustainable, reliable, competitive and environmentally friendly power production.

Despite the financial setbacks the company faced in 2016, the technical inspection and start of trial operation are scheduled for the end of September 2017.