Two Croatian companies have launched preliminary licensing procedures for the development of three solar photovoltaic (PV) plants with combined capacity of up to 112MW and overall power output of 176 GWh/yr, documents published by the country's ministry of economy and sustainable development show.

Local company Vidukin Gaj is planning to build the Luzine and Rupine plants of up to 26MW each at Jasenice in southern Croatia. Scheduled to operate on 71 hectares combined, the two units would produce 38 GWh/yr each, the documents said. And domestic firm Krs would add a 60MW solar PV plant with an expected output of 100 GWh/yr at Bibinje, around 40km from Jasenice.

The two developers are registered at the same address in Zagreb and are linked to a single individual investor, Iljko Curic, who also serves as a director in both firms, according to Croatia's company registry. Environmental studies completed for the projects in January this year said that the three solar PV plants are envisioned to be constructed in several phases.

Croatian solar PV has been increasingly attracting both domestic and foreign investors. Planned projects include Spanish utility Acciona's 150MW plant at Promina, French developer Neoen's 62.5MW unit at Vrana, Austrian investor RP Global's Rudine 1 and 2 plants at Dubrovacko Primorje with combined capacity of 54MW, and state-owned utility HEP's 50MW unit at Sveti Petar Ludbreski.

This article is reproduced at www.argusmedia.com