US-based construction giant Bechtel sees opportunities in Serbia to deploy new technologies in wind and solar power and green hydrogen.

Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlović held a meeting with the representatives of engineering, procurement, construction, and project management company Bechtel and discussed the possibilities for cooperation in energy and renewable energy in particular.

The company’s President for Regions and Corporate Affairs Stu Jones said it is interested in working in Serbia and that it is now mostly developing green energy projects in the United Kingdom.

“We believe Serbia can and should be the first country in the region that would invest in new technologies in renewable energy, especially in wind parks, solar energy, but also green hydrogen. We are ready to work together, to talk about development strategy and to apply new technologies in your country,” he stated. The meeting was attended by United States Ambassador Anthony Godfrey.

Expanding cooperation from infrastructure to energy

Mihajlović and Jones agreed the excellent cooperation in infrastructure and transportation should be continued in the energy sector, her ministry said.

This is an important year for the energy sector, Mihajlović said

“We prepared new laws as we want to create a favorable business environment and open the market for new investments. This is an important year for the energy sector. We are preparing a national energy and climate plan, we will work on decarbonization, we want to increase output from renewable energy sources and to improve energy efficiency. Your knowledge and experience and the implementation of new technologies are welcome,” she asserted.

Bechtel is headquartered in Reston, Virginia. The privately held company is known in Southeast Europe for highway projects in Croatia, Albania, Kosovo* and Serbia with its Turkish partner Enka.

Twin-turbine floating wind power plant project underway offshore Britain

The giant US firm has just joined forces with Swedish floating windfarm developer and technology provider Hexicon to deliver large-scale offshore floating wind projects along the British coastline and abroad. The technology can be deployed in deep waters at a lower cost of energy than other solutions as current shallow water platforms are fixed to the seabed, it said.

Bechtel will help Hexicon set up twin-turbine floating foundations in the 35 MW to 40 MW demonstration project. The US company pointed out that it built Ivanpah, the world’s largest solar thermal energy facility.