Renewables

Elektroprivreda BiH seeks contractor for three solar power projects

Elektroprivreda BiH seeks contractor three more solar power projects

Photo: Freepik

Published

April 16, 2025

Comments

comments icon

0

Share

Published:

April 16, 2025

Comments:

comments icon

0

Share

Power utility Elektroprivreda BiH (EPBiH) called on companies to apply to design and build three solar power plants. Two sites are on depleted coal land and the third one could become a hybrid power plant with existing wind farm Podveležje.

Within a project called EPBiH Solar Transition Programme, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state-owned company Elektroprivreda BiH launched a tender for three photovoltaic facilities of 28 MW in total. The public call is on the EBRD Client e-Procurement Portal (ECEPP) of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The lender pointed out it is the first phase of the first tranche.

EBRD is considering financing the investment valued at EUR 80.8 million with a EUR 36.5 million loan. EPBiH would provide EUR 7.7 million and secure the rest from other sources.

The tender consists of two stages while applications are received until May 26. The company selected for the first phase would be tasked with designing and building solar power plants Gornja Breza (15 MW), Višća (8 MW) and Podveležje 3 – with 5 MW in capacity.

EPBiH has 30-year concession for its PV project Podveležje 3

Phase 2 of the second tranche, for 56 MW, would comprise the proposed facilities Potočari 1, of 16 MW, Bedrock 1-3 (two times 8 MW plus 16 MW) and Banovići Selo, of 8 MW. Combined with the second tranche, the plan envisages 13 solar power plants of 195 MW overall.

Gornja Breza is on a former dump of the Breza coal mining complex north of the capital Sarajevo. Višća is at a depleted open cast coal mine on the territory of the city of Živinice near Tuzla.

The Podveležje 3 solar power project is colocated with the Podveležje wind power plant, owned by Elektroprivreda BiH. If the two systems are connected to the same infrastructure and digitally integrated, together they will become a hybrid power plant. The company won a concession last year for 30 years for 4.8 MW in the photovoltaic segment.

Abandoned coal land to host PV plants of Elektroprivreda BiH

EPBiH intends to build its other PV units in the first tranche also at abandoned parts of its mining complexes.

EBRD and UniCredit are financing the Gračanica 1 and 2 projects, located at a former tailings dump of the Gračanica mine. They are for 25 MW each and the connection capacity of the solar park would be 45 MW.

Notably, the company has been reporting losses quarter after quarter. It concluded last year with EUR 29.4 million in the red, compared to EUR 170 million in 2023. However, the company said in December that Chinese contractors have returned the advance payment of EUR 127 million that it payed them for the failed Tuzla 7 coal-fired power plant project.

Elektroprivreda BiH is planning another two wind farms: Vlašić and Bitovnja.

Comments (0)

Be the first one to comment on this article.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

Serbia drafts just transition action plan public debate

Serbia drafts just transition action plan

30 May 2025 - The Ministry of Mining and Energy has published a draft just transition action plan and launched a public debate

Regional Power Sector Exchange Western Balkans disitribution system operator dso grids ohrid giz

Third Regional Power Sector Exchange in Ohrid: Power grids at core of energy transition

30 May 2025 - The third Regional Power Sector Exchange of the Western Balkans gathered over 80 energy professionals from the Western Balkans

two solar power plants egesa enerji vojvodina

Turkish Egesa Enerji to build two solar power plants in Serbia’s Vojvodina province

30 May 2025 - Turkish company Egesa Enerji has launched a project to build two solar power plants in Vojvodina, with a total nominal capacity of 8.6 MW

Green for Growth Fund partnership Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Sida

Green for Growth Fund launches partnership with Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

30 May 2025 - GGF and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency are expanding green lending in the Western Balkans and the EU's Eastern Neighborhood