Photo: Erich Westendarp from Pixabay
Serbia’s transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije signed a contract with the companies Energotehnika Južna Bačka and Elnos for investment in substations that are part of the third section of the Trans-Balkan Corridor.
A contract between Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) and two firms envisages the expansion and reconstruction of the 220/35 kV substation Bajina Bašta to 400/220/35 kV and equipping two 400 kV line bays in the Obrenovac 400/220 kV substation.
EMS CEO Jelena Matejić signed the deal with the representatives of the Energotehnika Južna Bačka and Elnos consortium. They were selected after conducting a complex international tender, according to EMS.
The total value of the third section of the Trans-Balkan Corridor is estimated at EUR 113.5 million
Works on substations in Bajina Bašta and Obrenovac, together with the construction of a two-system 400 kV transmission line between them, represent the third section of the Trans-Balkan Corridor for electricity transmission.
The total value of this section is estimated at EUR 113.5 million, and the completion of the works is planned for the end of 2028. The contract signed with two companies is worth EUR 36 million.
The third section is financed by a EUR 64.5 million loan from KfW, a EUR 21 million donation from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), and EMS’s own resources.
Creation of conditions for connecting pumped storage hydropower plant Bistrica
With the implementation of this project, the existing 220 kV network in western Serbia will be replaced by a modern 400 kV grid, which will significantly increase the transmission capacities and reliability of the system, EMS explained.
At the same time, the conditions will be met to connect new production capacities, including the future pumped storage hydropower plant Bistrica, which will play a key role in balancing the system, the company added.
Matejić: We are increasing the security and capacities of the transmission system
EMS CEO Jelena Matejić, one of the speakers at the Belgrade Energy Forum – BEF 2026, pointed out that the signing of the contract represents an important step in the implementation of one of the most important energy projects in Serbia – the Trans-Balkan Corridor.
“By expanding and reconstructing the Bajina Bašta substation, and equipping the 400 kV bay in the Obrenovac substation, we are creating the conditions for connecting a new two-system 400 kV transmission line. Its construction has already begun. The power line will significantly increase the safety and capacity of our transmission system,” she stressed.
The next step is the fourth section
EMS noted that the Trans-Balkan Corridor has enormous national, regional and European importance. With its implementation, Serbia is additionally positioned as an important electricity hub in Southeastern Europe and a reliable partner in connecting the electricity markets of the East and the West, in her view.
Its total value is around EUR 221 million.
The first section of the corridor, which included the construction of a two-system 400 kV transmission line from substation Pančevo 2 to the Romanian border, was completed in 2017. The second section, which connected Kragujevac and Kraljevo and included significant investments in substations in those cities, was finished in 2022.
Next is the construction of the fourth and final section. It includes a new two-system 400 kV transmission line from Bajina Bašta to Višegrad (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Pljevlja (Montenegro), which will further increase Serbia’s cross-border transmission capacities.
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