Zhongbo Group advances in preparation for construction of Leotar wind park

China-based Zhongbo Group has taken another step in preparing for the construction of its Leotar wind farm near Trebinje, in the southeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). It would be the largest wind power plant in the Western Balkans by capacity and one of the largest in Southeast Europe.

Zhogbo Group has conducted research and preparatory works on the site and obtained approval from electricity transmission company Elektroprenos BiH. In June last year, the Assembly of the City of Trebinje approved the proposition to develop a zoning plan.

The company has now submitted a request to the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction, and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska, one of the two entities in BiH, to determine whether an environmental impact assessment (EIA) will be required.

“We are informing the public and interested parties that the project developer Zhogbo Group, Banja Luka, has submitted a request to the ministry for a preliminary environmental impact assessment for the Leotar wind farm project, with an installed capacity of 537.5 MW,” the ministry said.

The deadline for comments is 15 days

The public can review and send suggestions within 15 days from January 12, when the notice was published.

The construction of the Leotar wind farm is planned on Leotar mountain. The facility would consist of 86 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 6.25 MW, which will be placed on sites that depend on the terrain configuration and main wind directions, the accompanying document reads.

The expected annual production of the wind farm is 1.5 TWh per year. The plant’s utilization factor is 32.4%.

Of note, the owner of Zhongbo Group, registered in Banja Luka, is Everest Power Pte. Ltd., headquartered in Singapore, according to the business registry.

The Chinese company is expected to obtain a concession for the wind farm

Back in September 2024, the Republic of Srpska signed an agreement on strategic cooperation in the field of renewable energy sources with Zhongbo Group and China Power. Zhongbo Group is expected to be awarded a concession for the Leotar project.

The largest wind farm in the Western Balkans is Čibuk 1 in Serbia, with a capacity of 158 MW. However, it won’t hold that title for long, as Alcazar Energy Partners began the construction of its Štip wind power plant, of 400 MW, in July last year in North Macedonia.

In the wider region of Southeast Europe, the largest is Romania’s Fântânele-Cogealac-Gradina, with 600 MW. In Europe, the top spot is held by Markbygden in Sweden, with a capacity of 2,000 MW.