Upgrades which are critical for sustainable and efficient operation of the electricity transmission grid in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The bank said it will provide up to EUR 8.5 million to the Independent System Operator of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ISO BiH), state-owned company responsible for the operation of the transmission system.
The financing will be used to replace and upgrade the outdated energy management system (EMS) and the supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) systems, introduce new IT systems and construct necessary infrastructure in line with the requirements of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (Entso-E), the press release adds. Implementation will support the creation of a competitive balancing and ancillary services market and will help to reduce both technical losses in the system and the carbon intensity of the BiH energy sector, according to EBRD.
“This is an important project which will significantly improve the reliability of the country’s power system and reduce power losses and carbon emissions. It will help Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to meeting EU standards in the power sector,” said Ian Brown, head of EBRD’s office in the country.
The transaction will lead to the modernisation of the company’s systems and ensure that ISO, locally known as NOS BiH, can deal with the responsibility which comes with European Union’s Third Energy Package, said Josip Dolić, transmission operator’s general manager.
