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Ukrainian DRI Builds Wind Farm and First Substation for Renewable Energy in Croatia

The company DRI, the European branch of the DTEK group for renewable energy, announces the start of its first projects in Croatia. DRI was established in 2021 as the European branch of the Ukrainian DTEK group, founded by the well-known Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, who is also the owner of the football club Shakhtar Donetsk, where our former national team player Darijo Srna is the sporting director.

DRI announced on its website that it will build the ‘Brda Umovi’ wind farm with a capacity of 127.5 MW and the TS 400/110 kV substation intended for connecting renewable energy projects to the grid. Both projects will be located around Split and represent the first step in DRI’s ambitious plan to build a portfolio of up to 500 MW of wind and solar projects in the country by 2028.

The ‘Brda Umovi’ wind farm, as announced by the company, will begin realization in the summer of 2025 and is expected to start producing electricity in the autumn of 2026. This project will produce 338 GWh annually, enough to supply around 83 thousand households, and will also reduce CO2 emissions by 51 thousand tons per year.

The connection to the grid will be ensured by the TS 400/110 kV substation, the first of its kind built in Croatia in the last 20 years, which will significantly improve grid connectivity in the Split-Dalmatia County. The planned construction of the substation is also scheduled for the summer of 2025.

– Our deep engineering and energy expertise, combined with flexible capital, allows us operational agility for the rapid delivery of solar, wind, and battery storage projects. These projects are just the first step in our ambitious plans in Croatia and are key to achieving the country’s goals of reaching a 36.4 percent share of renewable energy by 2030 – stated DRI.

DRI has already established its presence in Romania with two operational projects: a 53 MW solar farm in Gloden and a 60 MW wind farm in Ruginoasa, the first wind farm built in Romania after decades. In addition to projects in Croatia, DRI is developing five more solar, wind, and battery storage projects in Italy, Romania, and Poland.

– Our commitment to the energy transition in Europe is reflected through these projects. Building a robust portfolio of up to 500 MW of renewable energy in Croatia emphasizes our vision and goals – added DRI.

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