Ante Šupuk

Who was Ante Šupuk?

Ante Šupuk was a Croatian engineer and inventor, also a mayor of Šibenik. In 1895 he built the 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.