Croatia’s HEP is searching for locations for wind farms, projects to acquire

State-owned power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda will research the remaining potential for wind farms in Croatia including locations for wind turbines near its existing hydropower plants.

While looking for sites for wind power plants, Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP Group) is also looking to purchase projects. It has launched a public call for a consultant that would identify potential locations and projects to acquire.

HEP Group will scan eight counties

The company said it is focusing on the following counties:

• Osijek-Baranja,
• Vukovar-Srijem,
• Primorje – Gorski kotar,
• Lika-Senj,
• Zadar,
• Šibenik-Knin,
• Split-Dalmatia,
• Dubrovnik-Neretva.

HEP expressed interest in eastern Croatia, saying Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem have a range of advantages.

The Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem counties have the greatest technical potential. Wind speed there is lower than in Dalmatia but it is easier to get a grid connection and haul wind turbines and construction costs are lower, HEP pointed out.

Due to the moderate climate, the most advanced wind turbine technologies can be applied in the said areas.

HEP Group is looking at sites around five hydropower plants for wind farms

Easier access to the transmission network prompted HEP Group to also analyze the possibility of building wind farms within 20 kilometers from some of its hydropower plants. There are five facilities in scope: Velebit, Vinodol, Zakučac, Orlovac and Senj.

The areas that HEP Group is mapping are highlighted below.

In addition to examining new locations, HEP is also interested in purchasing projects under development. The selected consultant would be tasked with analyzing specific endeavors in different phases.

The review is planned to comprise up to 20 projects based on publicly available data, while a so-called red flag analysis would be required for ten of them that HEP Group picks.

The estimated value of the entire assignment is EUR 125,000. The deadline for the analysis will be seven months, according to the public call.