GEEN Holding to start building third biomass unit in Croatia

Czech renewable energy producer GEEN Holding will soon start construction of its third biomass-fueled combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Gospić in Croatia, local media reported. It is the largest investor in biomass energy production in the country.

The Czech company already operates two cogeneration facilities on biomass in Croatia. Last December, a power and heating plant was opened in Županja. The first one was commissioned in October 2018 in Benkovac.

The third unit will be built in Gospić

In the following days, the company will begin the final phase of preparing the site for the project in Gospić, while the start of operation is expected in the first half of 2021, Portal.hr reported.

The company has invested EUR 80 million in the first two power plants

According to the article, GEEN Holding is not the only foreign firm to invest in biomass energy production in Croatia, but it is the largest investor.

The Czech company has invested EUR 80 million in the two units in Benkovac and Županja.

Electricity from the CHP systems is distributed to the grid, while heat is used by other enterprises.

The holding also announced it plans to focus on increasing the efficiency of the units in Benkovac and Županja, as well as on the utilization of heat, primarily for the production of pellets.

The company intends to use heat to produce pellets

GEEN has ten solar power plants and six small hydropower plants (SHPPs) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, while in Georgia it controls one SHPP.

All photovoltaic or PV facilities have installed capacity of about 9.8 MW, and the SHPPs have 4.4 MW. The Županja unit has the size of of 4.9 MW for power and 8.5 MW for heat, compared to 4.9 MW and 8 MW, respectively, in Benkovac.

Total electricity produced by all the firm’s systems is 113 GWh per year.