HELB – one of the pioneers in the sector of renewable sources and the related company HELTOS Renewable are new members of the Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia (OIEH)
HELB is an engineering company in the field of electrical energy with more than 30 years of professional experience and one of the first companies in Croatia to engage in the development of renewable energy plants. It was established quite a while ago, in 1990, in very turbulent times when courage was needed to take on such an endeavor. The founders succeeded together, and precisely togetherness is the key-value the company fosters even today when it has almost 150 employees.
HELTOS Renewable is a newly founded connected company for the development, design, and construction of renewable energy source facilities, primarily solar and wind. The company directors are Ivan Tošić and Vladimir Horvat.
More than 3000 references in over 40 countries
HELB provides complete services in all phases of the development of electric energy infrastructure: from design, production, construction of plants, management, and maintenance to testing and putting into operation. A wealth of experience, with more than 3000 references in over 40 countries, includes works on production plants, transmission, and distribution of electric power at all voltage levels as well as works on a whole variety of industrial facilities. It participated in the development of the Vrataruša wind farm, the first in the country which was connected to the high voltage grid, then in the testing and putting into operation power stations on the then-largest wind park in the world, Walney Extension, and numerous other projects in Croatia and the region in respect to which it has contract-based maintenance obligations on the electric energy parts of the plant.
“From the very establishment of the company we have been engaged in renewable sources: from the application of photo voltage in fields for the exploitation of hydrocarbon, maintenance of electrical energy installations on hydro-electrical power plants, connecting of the first wind power plant to the 110 kV VN grid, numerous solar plants, biogas and biomass plants all the way to the first geo-thermal power plant. For that reason we are very pleased to join the Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia Association as we are convinced that through joint forces we will give an even greater contribution to the process of decarbonisation and energy neutrality of our country”, Stjepan Horvat, the HELB director pointed out.
“HELB, with its innovative solutions and products and enviable portfolio of experience in the development of RES projects brings a rich spectrum of know-how and skills to our Association. It initiated its activities in the distant year of 1990 with only two employees, and today it is one of the leading companies in the region in the field of electric energy engineering and therefore are pleased to continue developing the sector with a company with such rich experience. OIEH aspires to become a center of know-how and excellence, a point of bringing together all the companies that have a common goal – the faster development of the green industry which will not only contribute to decarbonization but also enable the economic development of the country on sustainable foundations”, Maja Pokrovac, the OIEH director underlined.
Works on some of the largest RES projects in Croatia
Over the past two years, HELB has been carrying out works on one of the largest wind farms in Croatia, which has been put into operation these days – WPP Korlat, located near Benkovac, about 40 kilometers from Zadar, with a capacity of 58 MW. The scope of work included the delivery of equipment and electrical installation works on TS 33/110 kV Korlat and the internal energy and communication network, testing, parameterization and commissioning of TS Korlat and the internal cable network of the wind farm.
In Velika Ciglena near Bjelovar, HELB participated in the project of building the first geothermal power plant in Croatia – Velika 1, with a total capacity of 16.5 MW, which is also the largest geothermal power plant with binary ORC technology in continental Europe. HELB’s scope of work included electrical work that included the delivery of equipment and the performance of electrical installation work. The technical complexity of the project required the formation of a multidisciplinary team. The scope of electrical installation works included the production of 35 kV and 11 kV MV networks, installation of MV switchgear with block transformer, production and installation of LV cabinets, installation of other MV and LV equipment of the generator supplier, and other equipment related to the technological process. Prior to commissioning, tests and protection adjustments were performed by HELB engineers.
HELB continues with its activities and plans for the future – its vision is to become digital engineering companies by 2025 by continuously creating top experts and the first choice in the integration of advanced power systems through the implementation of new technologies and knowledge in the local and global market.
