HEP starts trial of Korlat, first unsubsidized wind farm in Croatia

The first wind power plant built by the national power producer is scheduled to enter full operation in August. HEP finished the construction of Korlat, the biggest wind park in Croatia, and connected it to the grid for a test run.

Croatian Energy Market Operator Ltd. (HROTE) has announced it signed a contract with wind power plant Energetski park Korlat doo and temporarily included it in the electric power system. The 58 MW facility thus began its trial run, which is planned to last until August. When Hrvatska elektroprivreda or HEP Group commissions Korlat, it is set to be the first wind park in Croatia operating without feed-in tariff incentives.

Estimated annual output is 170 GWh. The project near Benkovac in Dalmatia cost more than HRK 500 million (EUR 66.1 million). It consists of 18 turbines of 3.6 MW each, so the connection capacity is 10.5% below the maximum.

The towers are 114 meters high and Nordex SE’s machines have a diameter of 131 meters. Ing-grad doo was responsible for infrastructure and the grid connection and Fractal doo was hired for construction and supervision.

HEP aims to boost its wind and solar power portfolios to 350 MW each by 2030. It has revealed plans to add a 75 MW photovoltaic unit at the Korlat site. It is the biggest wind park in Croatia so far and the company’s first system of its kind.

Nordex has a 20-year service and maintenance deal.

Kelag-Kärntner Elektrizitäts’ subsidiary Interenergo put into operation a 10 MW wind power plant in nearby Jasenice in January. The Government of Croatia has been accelerating the efforts to lift the share of energy from renewable sources.