A public call to all interested partners for expression of interest in development and sale of renewable energy sources (RES) projects was published by Croatian state-owned power utility HEP. On the basis of 2019 public call results, HEP signed agreements with 11 local government units on the development of solar power plant projects with the total power of 120 MW. The new public call to interested partners is open by 31 December 2020. The call is made to local government units for the purpose of mutual preparation of development documentation for solar power plant projects and to companies and individuals interested to sell the projects of unintegrated solar power plants with installed capacity of 2 MW or more, wind farms and hydropower plants in development or in operation, with installed capacity of 1 MW or more. HEP decided to publish this public call following good experience with the response to the 2019 call. HEP signed agreements with 11 municipalities and towns on the development of solar power plant projects with the total power of 120 MW, in the period between September 2019 and April 2020, based on the analysis of received expressions of interest and communication with local government units as potential partners. HEP ensured additional 60 MW on the basis of the call through contracted acquisitions of projects in development, whereas 100 MW is the potential total output of solar power plants, which HEP began to develop independently in several other locations. CEO of HEP Frane Barbaric said that cooperation with the local community helps the company hasten the realization of its renewable scenario of development. HEP understands its role of one of the biggest investors in Croatia and drivers of economy, therefore, it continued with the realization of its investment plan.
HEP Group’s investment cycle has not been stopped or slowed down, instead 2020 investment plan has been set at the biggest amount in the history of the company, totalling at almost 650 million euros. Even last year, with 450 million euros, investment rose by more than 40 % at the annual level, and even more ambitious objectives have been set by this year’s plan. HEP is going to continue the investment cycle with the same intensity, planned investment between 2021 and 2024 amounting to almost 2 billion euros.
Currently, HEP is developing hydropower system Kosinj/Senj2, its biggest project yet, worth 450 million euros, a new highly-efficient unit in combined heat and power plant Zagreb, in which it is investing 120 million euros, Korlat wind farm worth 66 million euros and six solar power plants. HEP’s plan by 2030 is to have new 1,500 MW in generation capacities, 350 MW of which in wind farms, and the same amount in solar power plants. HEP is going to invest around 100 million euros in the construction of solar power plants between 2019 and 2023. These and other HEP’s newly constructed power plants are going to help with fulfilling Croatian obligations when implementing ambitious energetic and climatic EU objectives, which have recently got their framework in form of the European Green Deal. For financing its renewable scenario of development HEP is using European funds, so in the last three years it withdrew around 130 million euros from EU funds.
