Chinese AVIC-ENG to build hydropower plant on Drina river

The Government of the Republic of Srpska (RS) has approved signing of the Memorandum of cooperation with China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corporation (AVIC-ENG) on the construction of hydropower plant (HPP) Buk Bijela on the river Drina in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The entity’s Minister of Industry, energy and mining Petar Đokić is authorized to sign the Memorandum of cooperation with the Chinese company by the RS government’s decision published on June 15.

The project worth BAM 382.4 million (EUR 195.1 million) on the Drina river in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s southeast is planned for installed capacity of 93.52 MW. The plant will be constructed in the upper course of the Drina river, about 11 kilometers upstream from the new bridge in Foča.

The Government of the Republic of Srpska signed last year an agreement with a consortium organized by state-owned utility Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) and its subsidiary Hidroelektrane na Drini from Višegrad, for the construction and operation of HPP Buk Bijela.

The concession is for 50 years with a fee of 3.6% of income.

Expected annual production of the HPP is estimated at 332.3 GWh of electricity, with the flow capacity of 350 meters of cubic water per second.

The Buk Bijela HPP project has been causing concern over its impact on the river Tara, a tributary of Drina, which flows between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Environmental organizations fear that it will destroy the canyon of the Tara river, which is under protection of UNESCO.