In 1921, a small workshop destined for great achievements was set up. Throughout its hundred years of history, KONČAR Group has become a synonym for excellence and established itself as one of Croatia’s leading exporters. The company celebrated its anniversary of excellence and innovation in the face of constant social and economic challenges, showing consistent resilience and adaptability through a continuous successful operation.
High standards drive export to 130 global markets
During a century of high standards of KONČAR Group has earned the unconditional trust of customers and the status of a regional leader in power engineering and traction vehicles.
In the successful hundred years of operation, KONČAR has delivered more than 400,000 transformers of various types, voltage levels and rated power to all continents; it has fully or partially built and revitalized 375 hydropower plants, manufactured and refurbished 700 generators, and manufactured and supplied 330 locomotives and almost 200 low-floor trams and trains.
In focus:
It is difficult to single out individual achievements that allowed KONCAR to penetrate numerous markets in which we operate today on the principle of customer-specific approach, which distinguishes us from some major global companies. Because of such approach and constant investment in development and our expertise, today we can proudly say that we are a regional leader in the field of the electrical industry and rail solutions, points out Gordan Kolak, Chairman of KONČAR’s Management Board.
The largest solar power plant in Croatia
One of the most important projects last year is certainly the solar power plant on the island of Vis, the largest of its kind in Croatia. For this important turnkey project, KONČAR obtained all necessary permits, drew up design documentation and constructed the plant. More specifically, KONČAR delivered equipment, including proprietary developed and manufactured invertors, performed construction and electrical works and finally connected the plant to the substation. In 2020, KONČAR – Instrument Transformers made a new step forward in the product range. They delivered nine transformers for the customer in the USA to self-supply substations with a voltage level of 525 kV and a power of 250 kVA. The customer is one of the most strategically important power companies in the United States. These are also the largest transformers that the company has produced to date and among the largest in the world of this type, given the voltage level and power.
Rich tradition in the rail solutions segment
Rail vehicles and infrastructure are certainly a key part of KONČAR’s portfolio. KONČAR manufactured the first domestic locomotive back in 1970, and success in this area has continued through later development of low-floor trains and trams. In addition to the domestic market, the high quality of KONČAR’s low-floor tram has also been recognized by the European market. KONČAR concluded an agreement in 2018 with a Latvian buyer Liepājas Tramvajs, a breakthrough for the company since it marks the first export of this high-technology product developed in-house.
The trams are equipped with their own electric motor drive, auxiliary power supply, microprocessor control and various other solutions designed for maximum passengers’ comfort. KONČAR will manufacture and deliver 12 low-floor trams for the Latvian buyer, the first two of which were delivered late last year, while the last tram is to be delivered in April 2022.
A series of successful projects in neighbouring Serbia
In July 2018, KONČAR signed a contract for a major project for the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS); deliveries included 46 explosion-proof premium-efficiency IE3 motors with a power of up to 200 kW, intended for powering pumps, fans and furnaces located in danger zones. Furthermore, in the last few years, KONČAR has cooperated with several dozen customers from the Republic of Serbia. Apart from development projects, most activities concerned diagnostic and laboratory testing, certification and deliveries of transformer monitoring systems. KONČAR’s work on the HPP Đerdap and the Beočin Cement Factory stand out. Delivery of 5 transformers with a power output of 37 MVA for Zvornik HPP and 2 transformers with a rated power of 31.5 MVA for TS Kopaonik should also be mentioned. In total, over the last five years, KONČAR has delivered 14 medium power transformers of various rated power to customers in the Serbian market.
Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine CIRCULAR ECONOMY march 2021.-may 2021.
