Wpd Adria, a unit of German developer Wpd, plans to build a 1.2GW wind complex across the border region between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.

Wpd Croatia country manager Andreas Chollet confirmed the plan to Recharge after a press report in regional website eKapija that said the developer plans to invest €1.5bn in the wind complex in the Livno-Grahovo-Knin area.

The company is currently obtaining permits for placing wind measurement towers in the area in both countries, and after that would develop the project in two phases up to 2030, the website said.

“Locations are free and there are no concessions on them for now. The plan is to achieve 900MW installed capacity in Bosnia and Herzgovina and 300MW in Croatia,” Wpd Adria press official Zoran Obradovic is quoted as saying on eKapija.

He added that the company expects that €200m would need to be invested in power grids, which could be financed via EU funds.

Wpd currently has 91.8MW of wind power capacity in operation in Croatia, and a further 130MW in firm planning, according to its website.

Bosnia and Herzegovina last year entered the wind power era, when public utility Elektroprivreda HZHB opened the 51MW Mesihovina wind park in the municipality of Tomislavgrad, featuring Siemens Gamesa turbines.

The OEM is gradually establishing a foothold in the Western Balkans, and has also received orders in Croatia, and Northern Macedonia.

Croatia, an EU member, at the end of last year had 583MW of installed wind power capacity, according to WindEurope statistics.

Southeast Europe could unlock a massive, 500GW wind energy potential if it avoids regulatory shocks and offers greater policy visibility, WindEurope said last year.