Serbia publishes details on selection of strategic partner for 1 GW of solar

The Government of Serbia has adopted a decree on the selection of a strategic partner to install a total of 1 GW in solar power plants and at least 200 MW of battery storage. It has also said the public call would be launched soon.

The decree on the selection of a strategic partner for the installation of large solar power plants with battery storage systems defines the content and the process of the implementation of the public call, the criteria for participation and the evaluation of bids as well as the method of selecting the strategic partner.

In early May, the Government of Serbia initiated the procedure for the selection of a strategic partner to build the facilities and hand them over to state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) under a turnkey deal. The chosen company would operate and maintain the solar power plants and batteries for two years.

Đedović: Public call to be launched soon

Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović said Serbia’s goal is to double the capacity for the use of solar energy under the ongoing auctions for 50 MW of solar. She also stressed that a public call for the selection of a strategic partner would soon be published.

The new decree stipulates the government would select the strategic partner upon the proposal of the government’s working group tasked with preparing a public call, evaluating offers, drawing up a contract proposal and negotiating with the selected partner.

The laws that regulate public procurement procedure and public-private partnership does not apply to the public call

During the public call, the regulatory framework for the public procurement procedure and public-private partnership won’t be applied, the decree reads.

The deadline for submitting the bids will be at least fifty days from the date of the launch of the public call.

The criteria for accepting bids include a significant amount of work on the construction of power plants with a capacity of at least 25,000 MW, more than 5,000 employees, and a USD 5 billion turnover per year over the last three years.

The strategic partner must also undertake the obligation to complete the construction of solar power plants by June 1, 2028

The bidder must prove successful implementation of at least one contract of the same or similar nature on the basis of which solar power plants with a total installed power of at least 300 MW were developed and built, and at least one contract of the same or similar nature up to the level of full project development and financing for projects with a total installed capacity of at least 400 MW.

The potential strategic partner must accept the obligation to complete the construction of solar power plants by June 1, 2028.

Four criteria for evaluating bids

Four criteria for the evaluation of bids were defined: business criterium, a bidder’s human resources, a warranty period for key equipment components, and their technical characteristics.

The business benchmark defines the total capacity of the battery systems offered by the bidder.

The lowest operating power (for charging and discharging) and capacity are set at 200 MW and 400 MWh, respectively. The upper limits are 300 MW and 600 MWh, according to the decree.