Croatia Energy company HEP has already become a supplier in Slovenia. Electricity market in the region is interesting for HEP from several aspects, including the fight with competitors present on Croatian power market.
Recently appointed Chairman of the Board of the Croatian Electric Power Industry (HEP Group) Perica Jukic announced that the company, after the arrival on the Slovenian market, would continue to expand on the markets of other neighboring countries, without specifying on which ones. Consumers in the region, including Montenegro, will be able to choose their supplier from next year.
Jukic said the electricity market in the region was interesting for HEP from several aspects.
“We are here as a group in a twofold role – to provide equal access and fair market competition through the regulated activity, and to be better than the competitionin the market segment with price and quality”, said Jukic.
He stated that great challenge for HEP also was the implementation of regulations in the energy-climate policy of the European Union, given that all development strategies, all projects must be consistent with the objectives of the EU, particularly those for reducing harmful gases emissions.
Jukic said that the region of the Southeast Europe was rich in water resources, a valuable source of renewable energy which has been only partially used for the electricity production, while solar energy was still underutilized potential.
“The area is strategically well positioned for the power connection to the north, and also east and west, which enables the diversification of energy sources and their distribution routes. The importance of the area as a factor of energy stability and long-term security of energy and energy resources supply can just be reinforced by realizing the plans and expectations in relation to research projects in the Adriatic. Southeast Europe today, in principle, follow the goals of energy policy and each country adapts its capabilities with the dynamics and scope – energy resources and the state of economic development”, said Jukic.
He stated that the development priorities of Croatian Electric Power Industry did not change significantly by the Croatian accession to the EU.
“Croatia is a long-standing technical part of the power system of today’s EU. We are part of the EU energy market, we share problems, but we try to take advantage of the new possibilities that are opened in this large market”, said Jukic.
Major changes in the region
All the key actors of electrical engineering in the region will gathered together in December in Opatija. Asked what he expected from this meeting, Jukic says that this is an opportunity to develop new projects.
“Given that our area will be in the near future an area of development and realization of several energy projects, that means from the building of the energy network infrastructure to the construction of new energy sources of almost all the available living modern technology, Croatia can and intends to play an active and important-reaching role in the European energy market”, he added.
He announced that HEP would continue to invest in the fields of electricity, district heating and natural gas supply, and it strived to achieve common development projects with long-time business partners.
“Croatian power system, whose celebrate 120 years next year, so far have showed toughness several times, when much larger systems of neighboring countries failin difficult conditions “, he added.
