Draft energy permit for Vranduk HPP approved

The Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry has greenlighted the draft energy permit for the construction of the hydropower plant (HPP) Vranduk on the river Bosna.

The draft energy permit is granted to Elektroprivreda BiH (EPBiH) for the construction of Vranduk HPP with the installed capacity of 19.63 MW and the planned annual electricity production of 96 GWh. In the procedure of issuing energy permits for the construction of the HPP, the ministry obtained the prior consent of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the notice to the public which was published on the ministry website and in a daily newspaper it is stated that all interested parties are encouraged to intervene and submit their comments on the draft energy permit by November 18.

So far, works on the construction of auxiliary facilities are carried out according to the plan of the implementation of preparatory works, EPBiH stated on its page. Austrian Strabag and Croatian Končar are currently working on the cofferdam which will divert the water from the river Bosna and allow the pit excavation thus enabling the dam’s foundations to be laid, the utility added.

First post-war HPP project

The works on the construction of a green energy project worth EUR 57.4 million were officially launched in September on the territory of the city of Zenica in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Vranduk HPP will be a run-of-river diversion facility with a number of units functioning as a whole.

This is the first post-war hydropower plant project of EPBiH and it is expected to increase the share of renewables in the electricity production and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The project is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank in a total of EUR 63 million. Vranduk HPP is planned to be commissioned on November 11, 2019.