en.Wedoany.com Reported - Croatian energy and transportation equipment manufacturer Končar Group has inaugurated a new Power Systems and Drives Laboratory (LAVESP) in Bedekovčina, 50 kilometers from the capital Zagreb. The laboratory focuses on high-voltage equipment testing, including the field of High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC).
The laboratory is part of the Končar – Electrical Engineering Institute and is the institute's second facility of its kind, with the first having been put into operation in Zagreb in January 2023. The investment in the second laboratory exceeded €20 million, and its testing space covers 2,700 square meters. Končar stated that its capabilities, technical expertise, and advanced equipment place it among the world's leading testing laboratories.
The new laboratory will primarily focus on testing technologies and equipment for High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems. This technology has experienced near-exponential growth over the current decade, as it is increasingly becoming the optimal solution for addressing many challenges in modern power systems and the green energy transition. HVDC technology also plays a key role in integrating renewable energy sources, particularly offshore wind farms.
Končar has begun preparations for the construction of a third laboratory, LAVESP 3, with an investment of approximately €26 million. Additionally, in late January, the company, together with German Siemens Energy, opened a transformer tank factory in Sesvetski Kraljevec, Croatia, and plans to invest over €500 million in the next three years to expand production capacity and business operations.
Gordan Kolak, Chairman of the Management Board of Končar, stated that the laboratory is part of his vision to create one of Europe's most important centers for the development and testing of power engineering equipment. According to Dalibor Filipović-Grčić, Director of the Končar – Electrical Engineering Institute, the laboratory is one of the largest and best-equipped high-voltage testing laboratories in the world, capable of testing equipment for the most demanding transmission systems today.
In addition to serving Croatia's domestic power industry and strengthening cooperation with research institutions, the new laboratory will also promote the expansion of partnerships and strategic collaborations between Končar and international market participants. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Tomislav Ćorić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Croatia, and Ante Šušnjar, Minister of Economy.
