Mini hydro facility launched on Ugar river in Republic of Srpska

Austrian power group Kelag and its Slovenian subsidiary Interenergo officially launched their small hydropower plant Zapeće on Ugar river, Srna news agency reported. The investment is worth EUR 14 million, and planned annual production is 14 GWh from an installed capacity of 4 MW.

Petar Đokić, minister for energy and mining of the Republic of Srpska, said there are 123 concessions granted for the construction of energy generation facilities in the entity, most of which hydropower plants, including three major ones. The facility on the Ugar is in the territory of the said entity, the slightly smaller one of the two that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Fourteen projects are ongoing, he said in the town of Kneževo, also known as Skender Vakuf. The investors have BAM 50 million (EUR 25.59 million) in two SHPPs in Srpska so far, and a third one, Medna on the river Sana, is under construction, Đokić added. Its installed capacity will be 5.1 MW and the project is expected to be completed in early 2017, doubling Kelag and Interenergo’s assets in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he underscored.

The minister stressed the importance of wind parks too, namely the Trusina project in Nevesinje in the country’s southeast. The installed capacity will be 49 MW and the facility is expected to be commissioned in 2017, he said, according to the news report. There is also the plan for the 48 MW Hrgud wind park in the same area, Đokić added.

Representatives of Kelag and Interenergo amended an agreement with Srpska’s government on August 25, extending the cooperation until September 2017. Interenergo also operates Novakovići SHPP on Ugar stream, and another five facilities on Vrbas river in the country’s other entity, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Earlier in August, the civic Coalition for Sana river demanded from the authorities to declare the area in Bosnia’s northwest a protected nature park and abolish all plans and permits for hydropower plants there, including Medna. The projects have been facing opposition and protests for several years, including a declaration from the Municipality of Ribnik and five pending law suits, non-governmental organizations say.