On May 2006, Boötanj plant located in southeastern Slovenia about 100 kilometers east from the capital Ljubljana initiated its operation. It was the first hydro facility in Slovenia and is owned by the Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE). HSE, as the foremost power supplier in Slovenia has strongly justified that they could offer certified quality products, with good environmental management guarantying a secure and consistent supply at competitive values to the European Union and beyond. It has been the first hydro facility plant to recently use environmentally friendly hydraulic oil, a biodegradable lubricant from Panolin AG in the hydraulic system of five radial gates. Panolin has been the chief supplier of biodegradable lubricants and constantly conforms to environment compatible products. This hydro facility is anticipated to provide 6% of Slovenia’s annual power requirements through the creation of 720,000 megawatts-hours which noticeably plays a significant responsibility in supplying power to Slovenia. Since HSE strongly holds their principle on being environmentally friendly, they have decided to utilize biodegradable oil in their turbines for the radial gates’ hydraulic system. Plus, HSE desires to construct hydropower plants which are environmentally conscious of its effects as well as it will be capable to operate for 50 years or more.

Although this biodegradable oils are more costly than mineral oils, they opt to utilize it given that they consider that this cost will be much lesser than altering the entire system in the future. And in cases of accidents wherein the discharges leaks into the river, it would be less environmentally destructive than mineral oils.