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Orlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia

Hydro power plant in Splitsko-Dalmatinska, Croatia. Approximate location 43.6737, 16.784.

HydroSplitsko-DalmatinskaCroatiaconventional storage

Orlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia is a 237 MW hydro power station in Splitsko-Dalmatinska, Croatia. It is operated by HEP Generation Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 237k homes (estimated). It ranks #9 of 28 Croatia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1973, it is around 53 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 39.3% of Croatia's electricity; the national grid averages 158 gCO₂/kWh (76.3% low-carbon) (2025).

237Source-backed capacity
237,270homes powered (est.)
1973commissioned (~53 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEODB0044834.

Data status

Known data

FacilityOrlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia WRI
CountryCroatia · Splitsko-Dalmatinska WRI
Coordinates43.6737, 16.784 WRI
FuelHydro WRI
MW installed capacity237 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerHEP Generation Ltd [100%] WRI
Commissioned1973 WRI
Technologyconventional storage WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#9 of 28 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#2 of 17 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers4.27× · 56 MW median · 17 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent237,270 calculated
Climate10.5°C · HDD 2,806 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 31/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000601459); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 237 MW, Orlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia is well above the median hydro plant in Croatia (56 MW). Technically it is described as conventional storage. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Croatia

Zakucac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia: 538 MW538Zakucac Hy…Orlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia: 237 MW237Orlovac Hy…Senj Hydroelectric Power System Croatia Croatia: 216 MW216Senj Hydro…Varazdin Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia Croatia: 95 MW95Varazdin H…Vinodol Hydroelectric Power System Croatia Croatia: 90 MW90Vinodol Hy…Cakovec Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia Croatia: 77 MW77Cakovec Hy…Dubrava Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia Croatia: 76 MW76Dubrava Hy…Peruca Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia: 60 MW60Peruca Hyd…

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by HEP Generation Ltd [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 43.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.5°Cannual mean temp
2,806heating degree-days (base 18°C)
90cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
710 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 2 °CJF: 2 °CFM: 5 °CMA: 9 °CAM: 14 °CMJ: 17 °CJJ: 20 °CJA: 19 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 11 °CON: 7 °CND: 3 °CD20 °C

Heating degree-days here run 14% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 57/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
31/100environmental-severity index
17.8°Cseasonal temperature swing
55 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #2 largest hydro power plant of 17 in Croatia by capacity.

Croatia has 17 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 1,641 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 43.6737, 16.784 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Orlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia?

Orlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia is a 237 MW source-record hydro power plant in Splitsko-Dalmatinska, Croatia, commissioned in 1973.

How many homes can Orlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 237,270 homes (estimated).

Who operates Orlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia?

Orlovac Hydroelectric Power Plant Croatia is operated by HEP Generation Ltd [100%].

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