The construction of the Lesce power plant on the Dobra southwest of the town of Karlovac began in mid-November when Economy Minister Branko Vukelic inaugurated construction works.
In response to criticism from environmental associations, Minister Vukelic said on that occasion that "environmentalists can be assured that all of us are taking care of our environment and the assets we have".
This will be the first water power plant to be built in Croatia since the country gained independence. The 42-megawatt Lesce plant is to produce 94 giga-watts/hour of electricity annually.
After that, Green activists and the national Institute for Tourism again raised again their voice against the construction of the power plant, claiming that it would destroy the river still preserved from pollution and would damage the Lesce canyon.
Works on the plant will cost 444 million kuna (approx. 60.5 million euros), and a consortium is expected to build the main parts of the plant in the next 35 months. Upon the completion of the works, there will be a lake long 13,000 metres and wide between 200 and 500 metres on the site.
The opponents point out the fact that a study on environmental impact was compiled in 1980s while Croatia was within the now defunct Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), which means that the document is outdated and fails to present the real state of affairs.
Environmental activists from the EKO Kvarner association joined in the criticism, insisting on a new study to be prepared on impacts of such a plant on the environment and natural assets.