Construction of Vranduk hydropower plant officially begins

A ceremony to mark the start of the construction of a green energy project worth EUR 57.4 million was held yesterday on the territory of the city of Zenica in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Works on the system which will have a capacity of 19.6 MW were launched in late July.

Vranduk HPP, located next to a medieval castle, will be a run-of-river diversion facility with a number of units functioning as a whole. Annual production should reach 96 GWh. EPBiH signed an agreement with Strabag from Austria and Croatian-based Končar – KET in January for project design, manufacturing, supply and installation of equipment, construction works, testing and commissioning of the renewable power facility.

The government-controlled utility is the investor with BAM 22 million (EUR 11.24 million) of own funds, while the remainder of the overall EUR 63 million project is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank. The first filling of the reservoir should occur in May of 2019. Preparation activities were initiated in February and the project is planned to be completed by November 11, 2019.