Ante Supuk
Encyclopedia
Ante Šupuk was a Croatian engineer and inventor, also a mayor of Šibenik
. In 1895 he built the first Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant
as one of the world's first hydroelectric power plants, and connected it to a lighting system using alternating current
. It was the first of its kind in Dalmatia
and Croatia
.
Ante Šupuk was a generally influential mayor of Šibenik, the first Croat mayor to be elected under universal suffrage in 1872. He held the office in three periods: 1873–1882, 1886–1892, and 1896–1903. During his tenure, the city built a number of features: in 1879 a railroad, waterworks, a sewer system, and a new harbor were completed; and a new hospital building was completed in 1883.
In 1893, Šupuk and one Vjekoslav Meichser started a business and obtained a license to use the waters of river Krka
, and in 1894 they obtained permission to set up electrical power lines on municipal property in order to start lighting the streets with electric power. The construction of the Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant
started in 1894 and lasted for 16 months. It had a two-phase generator that produced 0.6MW of electric power. It was connected to the city with an 11 km (6.8 mi) long 3kV power line, where it was transformed to 110 V. On August 28, 1895 the first electric street light
s lit up in Šibenik. This achievement made Šibenik the third city in the world with alternating current
-powered street lights.
Šibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
. In 1895 he built the first Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant
Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant
Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant is a hydroelectric power plant on river Krka, located in Šibenik-Knin county, in central Dalmatia, Croatia.The Jaruga is one of the oldest power-generating facilities in the world...
as one of the world's first hydroelectric power plants, and connected it to a lighting system using alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
. It was the first of its kind in Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
Ante Šupuk was a generally influential mayor of Šibenik, the first Croat mayor to be elected under universal suffrage in 1872. He held the office in three periods: 1873–1882, 1886–1892, and 1896–1903. During his tenure, the city built a number of features: in 1879 a railroad, waterworks, a sewer system, and a new harbor were completed; and a new hospital building was completed in 1883.
In 1893, Šupuk and one Vjekoslav Meichser started a business and obtained a license to use the waters of river Krka
Krka (Croatia)
Krka is a river in Croatia's Dalmatia region, famous for its numerous waterfalls. It is long and its basin covers an area of .Possibly the river called Catarbates by the ancient Greeks, it was known to the ancient Romans as Titius, Corcoras, or Korkoras.The river has its source near the border...
, and in 1894 they obtained permission to set up electrical power lines on municipal property in order to start lighting the streets with electric power. The construction of the Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant
Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant
Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant is a hydroelectric power plant on river Krka, located in Šibenik-Knin county, in central Dalmatia, Croatia.The Jaruga is one of the oldest power-generating facilities in the world...
started in 1894 and lasted for 16 months. It had a two-phase generator that produced 0.6MW of electric power. It was connected to the city with an 11 km (6.8 mi) long 3kV power line, where it was transformed to 110 V. On August 28, 1895 the first electric street light
Street light
A street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or walkway, which is turned on or lit at a certain time every night. Modern lamps may also have light-sensitive photocells to turn them on at dusk, off at dawn, or activate...
s lit up in Šibenik. This achievement made Šibenik the third city in the world with alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
-powered street lights.