Electric
Power Industries of Serbia and Republic of Srpska shall successfully complete
the construction of hydro power plants at the Upper Drina and have the
opportunity to jointly work on new projects and investments – said Mr. Milorad
Grčić, acting director of Electric Power Industry of Serbia, and Luka Petrović,
acting director of Mixed Holding Power Utility of Republic of Srpska.
At
the meeting in EPS headquarters in Belgrade they discussed the progress of
Gornja Drina Hydro Power System Project, potential joint projects, exchange of
electricity, the possibilities of harmonizing power plants overhaul plans and
strengthening the cooperation.
- One
of the manners of cooperation with ERS is the project we initiated together on
the construction of Gornja Drina HPPS with hydro power plants Buk Bijela, Foča
and Paunci, having the total value of EUR 520 million, which shall generate
approximately 700 million kilowatt-hours annually. The importance of such a
project is particularly evident in the time of the crisis in Europe and
worldwide. Serbia is expanding its energy borders and all the people living
left of the Drina shall gain security – highlighted Mr. Grčić.
He
expects that the construction of the power plants at the Drina shall be met
with understanding in Sarajevo, and that the project realization will speed up
soon afterwards. Mr. Grčić mentioned that, at the beginning of the week, he
talked with the leaders of Electrical Power Company of Montenegro and he added
that Komarnica HPP Project with EPCG is one step from the beginning of
implementation.
-
Those two projects of electricity generation from renewable sources are
important for the future of EPS as well, and prove that EPS not only behaves as
the leader in the region when it comes to electricity generation, but it also fits
the policy of Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, the president of Serbia, on “Open Balkans”
– said Mr. Grčić.
Acting
director of Mixed Holding Power Utility of Republic of Serbia Mr. Luka Petrović
said that the joint company EPS and ERS is already conducting the preparatory
works and the preparation of the construction site of Buk Bijela HPP, the first
of three hydro power plants in Gornja Drina system, and that the hindrance
coming from politicians from the Federation of Bosna and Hercegovina cannot
affect this project.
-
Srednja Drina Hydropower system is an important project for EPS and ERS as
well, in which three hydro power plants would be constructed between Višegrad
and Bajina Bašta, having the total value of EUR 870 million, 320 megawatts of
installed capacity, and 1,200 MWh annual generation. We talked with the
representatives of the Public Company Elektroprivreda Bosne i Hercegovine, and
we would like all interested energy entities to be a part of this project –
emphasized Mr. Petrović.
He
added that EPS also showed interest to participate in some way in Boka HPP
Project at Sutorina location, which is being developed between ERS and EPCG. Boka
HPP would have the installed capacity of 250 megawatts and annual generation of
approximately 1,330 MWh.
ERS
and EPS could bring their cooperation to higher level in the field of
investments, electricity trade and the development of energy grid. We could
harmonize the power plants overhaul plans, which proved to be important so far
and could significantly lift the financial weight off of both companies. We are
initiating new projects which have been waiting for decades, and I hope that
this new generation will begin works and open objects, as well as bring new
perspectives of the survival of our peoples in the region and our future energy
independence, which is our final goal – concluded Mr. Petrović.
