HEP expands Korlat wind facility with solar, makes it Croatia’s first hybrid power plant

The 99 MW Korlat solar power plant in Zadar county will be built next to the wind farm of the same name, which was put into operation last year. They will form the first hybrid power plant in Croatia. The tender for construction was announced by the state-owned power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP).

Solar Energy Photovoltaic Plant- Korlat will spread over 185 hectares, and it will be located directly next to the Korlat wind farm, 8 kilometers northwest of the town of Benkovac in Zadar county.

The new solar power plant will spread over 185 hectares, and it will be located directly next to the Korlat wind farm

HEP has announced a tender for the construction of a Solar Energy Photovoltaic Plant- Korlat with a connecting power of 75 MW and an installed power of 99 MW. The invitation for prequalification is open until the 6th of July.

The works on the Korlat solar plant will be financed under the HEP GoGreen project, with the help of a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The project will take place in a single phase, and according to the previous announcements of the President of the Management Board of HEP Frane Barbarić, the estimated value of the investment is about EUR 66.29 million.

Over the next few years, 168 MW of larger photovoltaic power plants will be built in Croatia, while HEP plans to build about 350 MW of solar power plants by 2030, Barbarić said.

Unique location for green energy

Once the solar power plant is operational, the Korlat hybrid power plant will become a unique location for the production of green energy in Croatia. It will have a total capacity of almost 160 MW, based on the installed power of renewable energy sources.

Korlat Hybrid Park will become a unique location for the production of green energy in Croatia

The Korlat wind farm with a capacity of 58 MW became operational last year. The plant has 18 wind turbines and an estimated annual production of 170 GWh. Electricity from this wind farm is sufficient for the needs of 50.000 households per year, i.e. about 1% of consumption in Croatia.

Investments in wind and solar power plants are part of HEP’s investment cycle in renewable energy sources, which started in 2019. This state-owned company plans to increase the share of renewable sources in electricity production by 50% by 2030, i.e. to increase from 6 to 9 TWh per year.