KONČAR Expands Energy R&D with New LAVESP 2 Laboratory
KONČAR has officially opened a new Laboratory for Large Electrical Machines and Drives (LAVESP 2) in Bedekovčina, Croatia, representing an investment of more than $22 milion (€20 million). The facility is designed to test advanced equipment for the power and energy sector and is among only a limited number of laboratories in Europe with comparable capabilities.
Developed by KONČAR – Institute of Electrical Engineering, the 2,700-square-metre laboratory was financed with support from the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR) and the European Union through the NextGenerationEU programme. It will carry out type, special, research and development testing of high-voltage equipment, with a particular focus on HVDC (High-Voltage Direct Current) technologies used for long-distance electricity transmission, offshore wind integration and interconnection of power systems.
Speaking at the opening, Gordan Kolak, President of the Management Board of KONČAR, described the project as "confirmation of KONČAR's investment and development momentum" and said the new facility forms part of the company's vision of creating "one of the most important development and testing centres for electrical power equipment in Europe."
According to Dalibor Filipović-Grčić, Director of KONČAR – Institute of Electrical Engineering, the laboratory is "one of the largest and best-equipped laboratories for high-voltage testing in the world," capable of testing equipment for today's most demanding transmission systems. He added that the facility can perform tests at voltages of up to 4.4 million volts and support testing of technologies used in HVDC power transmission.
Government officials, including Tomislav Ćorić and Ante Šušnjar, attended the opening ceremony. KONČAR also announced that preparations are already underway for a third laboratory, LAVESP 3, with a planned investment of $29,7 million (€26 million), further expanding the company's research and testing capacity in Croatia.
Source: KONČAR Group
