Akuo Energy unveils Grubišno Polje cogeneration plant

The Energostatik cogeneration plant in Grubišno Polje, a EUR 34 million investment by France’s Akuo Energy, has started operating at full capacity, according to Grubišno Polje’s official portal.

The cogeneration heat and power (CHP) plant will produce 5 MWh of electricity and 6.5 MW of heat energy.

The French company also invested in the construction of the Krnovo wind farm in Montenegro.

Electricity from the CHP plant will be delivered to state-owned power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP), while heat energy will be used in wood drying chambers.

The cogeneration plant has almost no impact on the environment, said Laurent Sesse, general manager of the plant.

He noted that the entire process of energy generation complies with all EU standards, with rigorous controls foreseen.

Sesse said that the environmental impact of the plant is lower than that of an average household heated by wood biomass.

He also said that the air and water quality monitoring is carried out on a regular basis.

Citizens of Grubišno Polje will not feel any change compared to the previous trial work of the plant, except that there will be more trucks on the streets that will supply wood biomass to the plant, he noted.

The construction of the CHP plant was announced in December 2016, and the construction began in May 2017.

In August 2017, the Energostatik CHP plant and KPA Unicon signed a contract on the supply of the Unicon Altius 5 MWe biomass power plant to Grubišno Polje.

The two companies also signed a 14-year operation and maintenance contract.

Energostatik has a 14-year PPA with state-owned power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP), and a 14-year biomass supply contract with Croatia’s public forest management utility Hrvatske Šume for the supply of 46,000 tonnes per year.

Wood biomass supply for cogeneration plants in Croatia has been a much debated issue.

A few weeks ago, Hrvatske Šume terminated 20 contracts for the supply of wood biomass and then announced tendering for the sale of 265,000 tonnes of wood chips and firewood intended only for CHP plants.