Having implemented Turkey’s first privately owned geothermal power plant project, MB Holding has transformed domestic and renewable resources into electricity. This has led the way, inaugurating Croatia’s first geothermal power plant. Located at the intersection of Central Europe, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean, Velika Ciglena 1, Croatia’s first geothermal power plant, was officially opened in Bjelovar with an official ceremony attended by Croatian Presidential Ambassador Maja Pokrovac; Minister of Environmental Protection and Energy Tomislav Coric; Turkish-Croatian Ambassador Babur Hızlan; and Bjelovar Mayor and Governor and MB Holding Honorary President Muharrem Balat.
Muharrem Balat, who has created employment and resources for the region by commissioning the first geothermal power plant in a period of increasing cooperation between the two countries, accelerated this process with his investment. The plant, which has garnered praise from the Minister of Energy and the entire bureaucracy, has also been highly praised by the local population and the media.
The Velika Ciglena-1 Geothermal Power Plant is the first geothermal project in Croatia to transition from the exploration phase to utilizing geothermal water and electricity production. The site generates 10 MWe of electricity on a gross installed capacity of 16.5 MWe. This production, which utilizes domestic resources responsibly and meticulously, meets the electricity needs of approximately 29,000 households.
MB Holding Honorary President Muharrem Balat stated that geothermal energy, unlike solar and wind energy, produces clean energy 24/7, 365 days a year, and that geothermal investments within Croatia will continue. Balat added:
“Geothermal is a very important resource and a primary energy source. You can’t utilize solar energy when the weather is cloudy and the sun is gone. You can’t utilize wind energy when the wind is gone, but geothermal isn’t like that. When properly implemented, re-injection allows for uninterrupted production 24/7, 365 days a year. We currently have five power plants operating in Turkey, each with an installed capacity of 74 MWe, serving the country. My goal in Croatia is to continue these projects. This is why Velika Ciglena-1 is the reason, because Velika-2 will be there, and so will be 3, 4, and 5… The energy source will serve Croatia for 10, 20, 30, 40 years, and the country won’t have to rely on any other source. This country holds a very special place in my heart. I will continue my efforts to ensure that geothermal energy serves your country, reduces foreign dependency, and ensures savings. Geothermal energy is as valuable as a diamond. It produces energy without the use of fossil fuels due to the adverse conditions created by an increasingly polluted world. Our Velika Ciglena-1 power plant, which we implemented using technological systems, currently has an installed capacity of 16 MWe and produces 10 MWe of energy. Geothermal is a very risky investment and requires significant costs. We now consider ourselves a part of Croatia and are ready to make any investment that will benefit the country. I want to emphasize that we will continue our investments without interruption in the future.”
Following Muharrem Balat’s speech, Minister of Environmental Protection and Energy Tomislav Coric took the podium. He expressed his satisfaction with the benefits geothermal energy will bring to the country. Coric stated that he expects Muharrem Balat to implement at least five power plant projects in Croatia, as he has in Turkey.
Following Coric, Croatian Presidential Envoy Maja Pokrovac took the podium to express her pride in bringing renewable energy to the country. The opening ceremony concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by MB Holding Honorary President Muharrem Balat and Minister of Environmental Protection and Energy Tomislav Coric, followed by a tour of the power plant and lunch.
