TotalEnergies developing 80 MW Čemernica wind farm in Croatia

VSB Group, owned by oil and gas giant TotalEnergies, is developing the Čemernica wind farm in Croatia.

The Čemernica wind farm is planned to be built in the municipality of Dicmo and the city of Trilj, just inland from the coastal city of Split, according to Ekovjesnik.

Details about the 80 MW project were presented at a public consultation organized by VSB Obnovljiva Energija Hrvatska. About thirty residents attended the debate on the proposed power plant, which is planned to have 11 wind turbines.

Elizabeta Romac, a project manager at VSB Obnovljiva Energija Hrvatska, noted that Croatia has plenty of sunshine and wind but still covers a large portion of its energy consumption with imports.

“Renewable energy sources allow us to produce energy for self-consumption, and to generate clean energy that protects the environment,” she said.

The Čemernica wind farm project is currently in the preparation and data gathering phase

Romac pointed out that Croatia also needs larger projects and rooftop solar power plants. Small home power plants are useful, but they cannot meet the needs of the entire country, she explained.

The Čemernica wind farm project is currently in the preparation and data gathering phase, including wind measurements and the preparation of an environmental impact assessment. After the study is completed, the investor will organize public consultations and initiate permitting procedures.

These will be followed by a decision on the final layout of the turbines and the launch of construction.

The investor has reassured that there is no reason for concern, as all work will be conducted in accordance with environmental protection and public safety regulations.

The city and municipal budgets could receive more than EUR 300,000 annually from the wind farm. The investor also plans to continue supporting the local community and to hire local firms during construction and subsequent maintenance.

TotalEnergies bought VSB Group for EUR 1.6 billion

VSB Obnovljiva Energija Hrvatska is owned by VSB Group, based in Dresden, Germany. A year ago, the group was acquired by oil and gas giant TotalEnergies from Swiss asset manager Partners Group, in a EUR 1.57 billion transaction.

VSB Group had 15 GW of wind, solar, and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in the pipeline, along with 475 MW of wind farms and solar power plants in operation or under construction.

At the end of 2024, TotalEnergies’ renewable electricity generation capacity was 26 GW. The company has set a goal of reaching 100 GW of renewable capacity by 2030.