Serbia gets new wind farm after four years

Slovenia-based energy developer Rudis has inaugurated a 9 MW wind farm. The VE Alibunar I facility is the first power plant of its kind built in Serbia after Čibuk 1 in 2019.

Rudis said it connected its VE Alibunar I wind power plant of 9 MW to the 20 kV distribution network and delivered the first megawatt-hour in October.

The facility will generate 27 GWh to 29 GWh of electricity per year, which is sufficient to supply 6,000 households in Serbia.

The firm noted that it bought the company Balkan Electric, registered in Serbia, in early 2022. With the transaction, it obtained the building permit for the wind farm VE Alibunar I with three 3 MW wind turbines, Rudis said.

Chinese company Zhejiang Windey supplied the wind turbines. The model is WD164-3300.

Nova Ljubljanska Banka from Ljubljana, Slovenia financed 75% of the EUR 15.5 million investment with a 15-year loan. Rudis covered the rest with own funds.

PLC Interenergo is buying the wind power plant’s entire output via a long-term PPA

PLC Interenergo, registered in Belgrade, has a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for the wind power plant’s entire output, the developer revealed. The buyer included the facility in its balance group Interenergo-Kellag, Rudis added.

Karanović & Partners was involved in the legal aspects of the development of the wind farm. Their team assisted Rudis with the due diligence process, transaction support, and ongoing project-related matters after the acquisition.

In addition, another team within Karanović & Partners has advised PLC Interenergo with the PPA for the Alibunar I wind farm, Karanović & Partners said.

Of note, in early October, Slovenia-based firm Interenergo inaugurated the Bukovica solar power plant in Croatia. The company is also developing various renewable energy projects in the region.

An introduction to the second wave of investments in wind energy

The inauguration of VE Alibunar I could be seen as an overture to the second wave of investments in wind energy in Serbia.

Serbia currently has an overall 397 MW in wind farms Čibuk 1, Kovačica, Košava 1, Alibunar, Kula, Malibunar, and La Piccolina, which were built in the first wave, within a 500 MW quota allocated by the Ministry of Mining and Energy.

The quota also includes the 102 MW Plandište facility, which is under construction. The Kostolac wind farm, with a capacity of 66 MW, is not within the quota, but it is expected to be finished by the end of 2024.

The proper push in the second wave is expected with projects awarded through auctions

One other wind farm is being built, too.

In May 2022, MK Group and Fintel Eergija broke ground on their Kula 2 project in northwestern Serbia.

Notably, it would have a capacity lower than 10 MW, as does the facility commissioned by Rudis, which means they are set to be connected to the distribution grid instead of the transmission system.

The proper push in the second wave is expected with projects awarded through auctions. In August, four projects filled the 400 MW quota in Serbia’s first wind power auction.