CONTRACT SIGNED ON CONSTRUCTION OF WATER POWER PLANT IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, Dec 31 (Hina) - A contract on the construction of the hydroelectric power plant "Podsused" was signed on Friday by authorities of the city of Zagreb, Zagreb County, the Croatian Power Industry (HEP) and the Croatian Water Management. Works on this power plant will start next year, and the facility should be finished in four years. Means worth 300 million German marks will be invested in this plant that is to be installed near the suburb of Zapresic (western parts of a greater Zagreb area). Under the contract, the HEP will finance 60 percent of the entire sum, 20 percent will be ensured by the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, while the rest of 20 percent will be provided by the Croatian Water Management. This 52-megawatt water power plant, to be built on the Sava River, is a part of programmes for the building and reconstruction of the power supplies network in Zagreb. A letter of intent on this matter was signed in March 1997. Since then a large portion of those plans, valued nine billion kuna (about 2.25 billion German marks), has been carried out. Present at Friday's ceremony of signing the contract was Croatia's Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa who described the building of this plant as a big step forward for Zagreb. Signatories to the contract - Zagreb Mayor Marina Matulovic Dropulic, County Prefect Branimir Pasecky, HEP Management Chairman Damir Bogovic and Croatian Water Management Director-General Stjepan Sturlan - said the water power plant in Podsused would not only be an important source of power supplies, but it would also be protection from floods and help protect subterranean drinking waters. (hina) ms