Croatia, Varaždin: Croatian power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP) is moving ahead with a major modernisation of the Varaždin hydropower plant, backed by a total investment of $184 M (€157 M). A key part of the project is a $111 M (€95.2 M) contract signed between HEP Proizvodnja and engineering group KONČAR.
The agreement was signed by Šime Šimurina, President of the Management Board of HEP Proizvodnja, and Gordan Kolak, President of KONČAR’s Management Board. It covers the preparation of technical documentation, the manufacture of primary equipment and associated systems, and the delivery of two new generating units for HPP Varaždin.
The works are planned to last 53 months from the start of the project, with completion expected in 2030. Beyond the replacement of the generating units, the wider reconstruction includes the refurbishment or replacement of equipment in the powerhouse and on the dam, as well as civil structures and infrastructure, depending on their condition and in line with current technical and legal standards.
Once completed, the capacity of each unit will increase from 47 MW to 55 MW, raising total installed capacity from 94 MW to 110 MW. New turbines will significantly improve efficiency, from the current 86 % to 93 %. The project will also increase water flow capacity from 250 to 275 cubic metres per second.
These technical upgrades are expected to boost average annual electricity production by around 6 %, from the current level of 450 GWh.
Located near the city of Varaždin, the plant entered operation in 1975 as the first hydropower facility on the Drava river in Croatia. After marking 50 years of operation, the reconstruction will secure its role in HEP’s system for at least another five decades.
Source: KONČAR
