Končar Opens €20M HVDC Testing Laboratory in Croatia

Končar – Electrical Engineering Institute has opened a new high-voltage testing laboratory for large electrical machines and drives in Bedekovčina, Croatia, with an investment of more than €20 million. The facility, designated LAVESP 2, is equipped to test HVDC and HVAC technologies at voltages up to 4.4 million volts and will support testing of equipment for HVDC transmission systems and offshore wind farm integration.

The laboratory covers 2,700 square metres of testing area and is fully enclosed in a Faraday cage measuring 30 metres by 35 metres in plan and 28 metres in height. It is designed to perform type, special, research and development testing of high-voltage electrical equipment, positioning it among the few laboratories of comparable size and capability in Europe.

Testing Systems and Technical Capability

The Bedekovčina facility is equipped with a 1,200 kV AC source including a 1,200 kV / 960 kVA testing transformer designed in a single-stage configuration, a 1,200 kV DC source, and a 3.8 MV shock generator. The laboratory will perform testing on power transformers, instrument transformers, circuit breakers, disconnectors, earthing switches, gas-insulated switchgear high-voltage plants, conductor and support insulators, overhead line and suspension equipment, and high-voltage cables including HVDC cable systems.

The facility is focused on testing HVDC transmission technologies, particularly HVDC converters and cable systems for long-distance electricity transmission, interconnection of major power grids and integration of renewable energy sources.

Funding and Strategic Context

The €20 million investment was funded through a combination of Končar company funds, support from Hrvatska banka za obnovu i razvitak (the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development), and European Union backing through the NextGenerationEU programme. The opening was attended by Gordan Kolak, President of the Management Board of Končar, Dalibor Filipović-Grčić, Director of Končar – Electrical Engineering Institute, Tomislav Ćorić, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Croatia, and Ante Šušnjar, Croatia's Economy Minister.

LAVESP 2 is the second laboratory of its kind within Končar – Electrical Engineering Institute, following the first facility opened in Zagreb in January 2023. Preparations for a third laboratory, LAVESP 3, valued at €26 million, have already begun. The establishment of these laboratories forms part of Končar's strategy to enhance collaboration with the scientific community and strengthen its position in the European power engineering market.

The Laboratory Center of Končar – Electrical Engineering Institute, which houses the new facility, is approved to perform testing by DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority), TRANSCO (Abu Dhabi Transmission & Despatch Company) and SEC (Saudi Electricity Company), supporting the company's role as a testing services provider for HVDC and high-voltage equipment globally.