The contract was signed by Šime Šimurina, President of the Management Board of HEP Proizvodnja, and Gordan Kolak, President of the Management Board of KONČAR.

Under the contract, KONČAR will deliver technical documentation, as well as manufacture and supply the primary equipment and associated systems for two new generating units at HPP Varaždin. The contracted project timeline is 53 months from the commencement of works, with completion expected in 2030. In addition to the replacement of the generating units covered by this contract, the project also foresees the replacement or refurbishment of all remaining plant equipment in the powerhouse and dam, as well as all related structures and infrastructure at HPP Varaždin, in line with their current condition and applicable technical and regulatory requirements. The total planned value of the reconstruction project amounts to €157 million.

Upon completion, the installed capacity of both generating units at HPP Varaždin will increase from 47 to 55 megawatts (MW) each. The new turbines will boost operational efficiency from the current 86% to 93%. The reconstruction will also increase the maximum water flow from 250 m³/s to 275 m³/s. Combined with the growth in total plant capacity, from today’s 94 MW to 110 MW, this will raise the plant’s average annual output by 6% compared to the current 450 gigawatt-hours (GWh).

Located near the city of Varaždin, HPP Varaždin is currently the sixth-largest of HEP’s 27 hydropower plants, with an installed capacity of 94 MW. It is the first of three hydropower plants on the Croatian section of the River Drava, regulating and utilising the river up to the confluence with the Mura. Commissioned in 1975, together with HPP Čakovec and HPP Dubrava, it forms a cascade operated remotely from the control centre in Varaždin since 1998. Following last year’s celebration of the plant’s 50 years of successful operation, the ongoing reconstruction will extend its service life by at least another five decades.

The reconstruction of HPP Varaždin continues HEP’s long-term programme of upgrading, extending, and revitalising its hydropower fleet.