Fortis Group expands presence in Balkans by taking over two biogas power plants in Serbia

Fortis Group is completing the acquisition of two biogas power plants in Pančevo, Serbia, Chief Operational Officer Velimir Gavrilović announced at Belgrade Energy Forum. The company recently installed the largest solar power plant in North Macedonia.

Fortis Group, an international corporation which started its journey in Turkey, is expanding its business operations throughout the Balkans. It chose Belgrade for its headquarters for Southeast Europe.

“From there we manage many projects for solar energy and wind parks, and the new biogas power plants. Just now we are completing the purchase of two biogas power plants in Pančevo, Serbia, and we will start generating power soon, with pleasure. This is an outstanding green project that our group will be proud of,” COO Velimir Gavrilović said at Belgrade Energy Forum. More than 500 participants from 30 countries of the world convened at the event.

Three major wind power projects underway in Serbia

The company has 1 GW in projects in Serbia. Notably, it is preparing to install wind parks Gornjak (194.4 MW) in the country’s east, Juhor (144 MW) in the central part and Vranje (171 MW) near the eponymous city near the border with North Macedonia.

Fortis Group plans to complete the facilities by the end of 2028 and combine them with battery storage. It said the feasibility studies are nearly finished and that it expects the three wind power plants to generate 1.5 TWh per year in total.

The feasibility studies for wind power projects Gornjak, Juhor and Vranje in Serbia are nearing completion

The Turkish firm already owns the Dolovo biogas power plant of 3 MW, also near Pančevo. It utilizes manure and other agricultural waste and generates 28 GWh of electricity per year.

“We can offer to investors interested in energy and the companies that have renewables built already to buy the project from them. We can offer co-financing. We can various forms of partnership. Finally, we can buy electricity from your power plants and place it throughout this region and outside of the region, through our subsidiaries that trade in electrical power,” Gavrilović stated.

Recently completed Oslomej solar power plant has 79.9 MW in peak capacity

In the home market, Fortis Group operates photovoltaic and biogas facilities and develops an electric vehicle charging network. Investments are underway in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, too.

Fortis Group recently built the biggest solar power plant in North Macedonia. State-owned power utility Elektrani na Severna Makedonija, ESM, selected it for a public-private partnership in 2021 for 50 MW. The company expanded the project to 79.9 MW in peak capacity and a 68.7 MW connection.

The location is in REK Oslomej, one of two coal mining and power complexes in the country. The other one is REK Bitola. The solar power plant at a depleted open cast coal mine has an estimated annual output of 120 GWh. It comprises 124,000 PV panels.

A 10 MW solar power unit was installed in the same area two years ago. It was the first of its kind on a former coal mine in the Western Balkans.