The Nordex Group is expanding its presence in the fledgling Croatian wind power market, with a 58MW turbine supply and service contract by state-owned energy supplier Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP Group).

It is the first onshore wind project in the south-eastern European country to be built without subsidies.

The German-Spanish wind OEM is slated to deliver 18 of its N13173600 machines for the Korlat wind project some 40 kilometres from the port of Zadar, near to Benkovac, a town in the interior of the country.

Start of delivery is at the end of this year, with the start of operations scheduled for mid-2020.

"We are pleased that the HEP Group has now added wind turbine generators to its existing power plant portfolio for the first time and that they have opted for our turbine technology,” Nordex chief sales officer Patxi Landa said.

The contract comes with a 20-year service agreement.

“WPP Korlat will be the first wind power plant in our generation portfolio, but also the first power plant in Croatia to generate electricity without incentives,” said HEP president Frane Barbarić.

Korlat is expected to produce around 170GWh per year, or about 1.5% of Croatia’s electricity consumption.