Construction of dam, main structure of hydropower plant Buk Bijela could begin by end-2022

The construction of the main structure and dam of hydropower plant Buk Bijela on the Drina river is expected to begin by the end of 2022 or in early 2023, according to Republic of Srpska Prime Minister Radovan Višković. A groundbreaking ceremony for the 93 MW hydropower plant, a joint project between Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, was held in May 2021.

HPP Buk Bijela is being developed by state power utilities Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) in an investment valued at about EUR 220 million. Serbia’s EPS holds a majority stake, of 51%, in the joint venture developing the hydropower plant, while 49% is owned by the Republic of Srpska’s ERS.

A groundbreaking ceremony for HPP Buk Bijela was held in May 2021

According to announcements at the groundbreaking, the plant was expected to be completed within four years, with an annual electricity output projected at 332 GWh.

HPP Buk Bijela is projected to generate 332 GWh of electricity a year

In July 2021, the environment ministries of Montenegro and the Republic of Srpska agreed to set up a joint expert team to assess the hydropower plant’s possible impact on the Tara river in Montenegro. The move was agreed following warnings by ecological organizations that the plant’s environmental impact would be felt beyond the borders of the Republic of Srpska.

HPP Buk Bijela is the first phase of a larger joint project between Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, which includes building two more hydropower plants on the Drina – HPP Foča (44 MW) and HPP Paunci (43 MW).