Czech firm starts construction of two solar power plants in Croatia

Woodburn Capital Partners from the Czech Republic started the works on a 10 MW solar power plant in Brdovac in the Zagreb area and another facility of 3 MW in Stankovci in the Zadar county in Dalmatia.

Negotiations are underway on long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with large corporations in the region for two solar power plants under construction in Croatia, Woodburn Capital Partners announced. The Czech company broke ground for a photovoltaic plant of 10 MW in Brdovac near Zagreb and a 3 MW facility in Stankovci, southeast of Zadar in Dalmatia. The investor pointed out that the process of obtaining the construction permits isn’t complete yet.

The firm said that, among others, it is in discussions with potential users in the Brdovec business zone, a hotel chain operator and an energy trading company.

Pliva, Pfizer among potential clients?

“Given that our business zone is attracting more and more corporate and industrial partners such as Pliva and Pfizer, there are rising expectations that the available infrastructure should include renewable energy sources,” Brdovec Mayor Alen Prelec stated. Of note, pharmaceuticals producer Pliva recently commissioned a solar power plant of 9.7 MW for own needs at its factory in Savski Marof, west of the country’s capital city. It is currently the biggest in Croatia.

“Unlike numerous other players in the renewable energy market, we adopted a vertical integration approach, from finding locations, obtaining all necessary permits and adapting to regulatory requirements to finding the future signatories of PPA contracts to building the power plants and operating them,” Woodburn Capital Partners development head Mirko Meděnica said.

Government support is key

The company added that it completed five similar projects so far and invested more than EUR 75 million in biomass-fired and photovoltaic instalations. Woodburn said it is examining business opportunities in neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina and that it is also interested in wind power plants and energy storage in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in Southern Europe.

Government support to the renewable energy sector is crucial, financial chief Chris Kottnauer stressed. “The Government of the Republic of Croatia is leading the trend as it adopted the long-awaited directive on the criteria and conditions for issuing energy permits, which simplifies administrative processes and opens the way for further growth of the sector of energy from renewable sources. In addition, the directive provides operators and investors in the renewable energy sphere the required transparency and stability level and additionally strengthens the entire sector,” he asserted.