CRO ELECTRIC UTILITY COMPANY OPEN TO FOREIGN INVESTORS

( Editorial: --> 4743 ) ZAGREB, May 18 (Hina) - The goal of the Croatian Electric Utility Co.'s (HEP) programme for the next four years is to completely repair war damage in the industry (assessed at about DM2.3 billion) without changing the price of electricity supply. Further goals are the development and construction of new premises, HEP administrative board president Damir Begovic told a news conference on Monday. He said the HEP would invest on its own in the construction of new hydro-electric power plants which could produce about two billion kWh. Hydro-electric power plants are important for the protection of strategic interests, Begovic said. He added the HEP would construct the power plants using its own resources or on the basis of an outside loan. However, the HEP cannot finance the construction of thermo- electric power plants and is open to foreign investments through the model of independent producers of electricity, with which a contract on the buying and selling of electricity would be signed. Two projects are being prepared - a gas-powered thermo-electric power plant in Jertovac and a thermo-electric power plant on the Adriatic. Asked about five offers by international companies to construct a coal-powered thermo-electric power plant on the Adriatic, project head Zlatko Varazdinec said the best offers would be selected by mid-June. Recalling a standstill that had occurred in talks about the nuclear electric power plant Krsko (Slovenia), Begovic said that the Croatian side would at the moment only pay for the cost of maintenance and fuel. "We cannot accept other investments until there are adequate guarantees for our investments," he said. (hina) lm /mb 181616 MET may 98