Elektromreža Srbije needs additional EUR 200 million for electricity interconnections

Serbia’s transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) needs EUR 200 million in additional investments to construct electricity interconnections with the surrounding countries, its General Manager, Jelena Matejić, said and added investments of EUR 500 million are underway.

There are issues with electricity supply in the northern Vojvodina province, in the city of Bor and the capital Belgrade and its surroundings, Matejić said during a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Niš. She asserted that the state-owned company needs EUR 50 million for investments in Vojvodina, EUR 70 million for Bor, and EUR 80 million for Belgrade.

Vučić estimated the hurdles could be overcome with the government’s help and pointed out EMS’s annual net income is only EUR 170,000. He said that the revenue is EUR 214 million, and expenditures excluding loan repayments are EUR 170 million.

EMS needs EUR 60 million euros per year for investments, which are of the utmost importance for the development of new capacities for green energy

EMS’s General Manager Matejić said in a recent interview with Balkan Green Energy News that the company expects significant support from the Serbian government regarding strategic projects for the transmission system. She explained it is necessary to invest almost EUR 60 million per year in developing the transmission grid so that it runs in parallel to an intensive integration of renewable energy sources.

Investments in the development of the transmission grid and the maintenance of the existing network are necessary for the efficient integration of electricity produced from renewable sources – it would enable EMS to respond to the upcoming energy transition adequately, said Matejić.