Slovenian energy company Petrol scheduled the start of production at its Ljubač facility near Knin for early April. Nordex supplied generators for the 30 MW wind farm in Croatia, which will operate without state support.

Annual output at the nine turbines that will make up wind farm Ljubač is estimated at 96 GWh, equivalent to the electricity demand of 20,000 households in Croatia. Petrol revealed the 30 MW unit would come online in less than four months.

The Slovenian company added it is its first wind power plant that won’t receive any financial support from the government.

“The global energy system is witnessing an advanced development, influenced by the increased energy demand as well as by environmental requirements. At Petrol, we are following these objectives through the production of electricity from renewable sources – wind, water and sun. Petrol decided to become a modern energy company, therefore renewables have a specific strategic position,” board member Jože Bajuk said.

Petrol has three wind projects near Šibenik

A deal for the supply of the equipment was signed a year ago with Nordex from Germany and the works started in the spring. The company claims it is choosing locations for wind power plants where they won’t harm the environment.

Bajuk: Renewables have a specific strategic position for Petrol

Petrol, which leans mostly on the distribution of fossil fuels, electricity and heating, bought half of the project firm in 2018 and acquired the rest last year. Vjetroelektrana Ljubač is based in Šibenik on the Dalmatian seaside, while the wind farm itself is close to Knin.

The company owns the 20.7 MW Glunča wind park in the same area and has a 50% interest in the 30 MW Dazlina project, also close to Šibenik.

More than half of company’s renewables portfolio is in Serbia

Petrol group holds 25% of Austrian-based Ivicom Energy’s subsidiary in Serbia. It plans to build a 103.2 MW wind power plant called Krivača in the eastern part of the Balkan country.

The Slovenian firm said it has a 200 MW portfolio of developed or developing wind and solar parks and that it is also investing in small hydropower plants.

Ljubač is next to Krš-Pađene, the largest wind farm in Croatia. Its capacity is 142 MW.