FBiH approves loan guarantee for Poklečani wind farm

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina supported the initiative of state-owned utility Elektroprivreda HZ HB and approved a guarantee for a loan of EUR 150 million for the Poklečani wind farm project. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Germany’s KfW Development Bank intend to finance the endeavor with EUR 75 million each.

Elektroprivreda HZ HB (EPHZHB) approached the Federal Ministry of Finance in July with a request to start the procedure to add EUR 150 million in liabilities in the form of foreign debt, for the EIB and KfW to finance the Poklečani wind power project.

According to the project, the Poklečani wind farm will have 20 wind turbines with a capacity of up to 6.6 MW apiece or 132 MW in total. The expected annual production is 437 GWh.

The Poklečani project will have 20 turbines with a capacity of up to 6.6 MW apiece or 132 MW in total

The site is in the northern part of the municipality of Posušje in western Herzegovina. It is planned to be built in an area centered on mountain Štitar, about 13 kilometers northeast of the town of Posušje.

The Poklečani wind farm project is included in FBiH’s Public Investment Programme for 2022-2024. It was the basis for the launch of the initiative to obtain a loan.

The Federal Ministry of Finance has assessed the creditworthiness of Elektroprivreda HZ HB, the entity government said. The Poklečani facility is envisaged to expand the production capacity of the state-owned utility based in Mostar by 14.6% and increase its annual output by approximately 20%.

The Poklečani project is envisaged to expand EPHZHB’s production capacity by 14.6% and increase its annual output by approximately 20%.

The Government of FBiH has instructed all stakeholders, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry, together with Elektroprivreda HZ HB as the intended end borrower, to appoint representatives to the team that would negotiate the loan with the EIB and KfW.