Municipality to acquire small hydropower plant

Western Serbian Municipality of Nova Varoš set RSD 100 million (EUR 891,000) for the purchase of a small hydropower plant from the army, while according to estimates a similar amount will be needed for the rehabilitation of the pipeline and new equipment, according to local portal Glas zapadne Srbije.

The municipal assembly voted to buy a small hydro facility in Donja Bistrica, on river Bistrica, with a difference in height of 40 metres. The site is near the confluence with river Lim. The power plant was installed three decades ago by the Yugoslav People’s Army to supply the future strategic goods stockpile centre, a developing project which was eventually dropped. A turbine of 1 MW is also in a bad condition, and the pipes are 200 metres long.

The assembly proposed a credit arrangement for the financing of the endeavour. Rules say the municipality has priority in a potential takeover, after information on the military facility was declassified.