Croatia's HEP takes Offline its Biggest Hydro Power Plant

Croatia's power utility HEP said on Saturday its biggest hydro-power plant Zakucac, which generates a third of the country's electricity, had been taken offline on June 8 after a burst pipe caused flooding in the main engine room.

The 488 megawatt (MW) plant is located in the Adriatic coastal town of Omis. Croatia, the European Union's newest member, meets 60 percent of its electricity demand from local sources and imports the rest.

"Despite the halt in the operation of the hydro-power plant Zakucac, HEP has secured enough electricity by increasing the generation in other capacities it operates and will also purchase the missing power on the market to ensure regular supply of all consumers," the state-run HEP said in a statement.

(Reporting by Maja Zuvela; Editing by Catherine Evans)