Republic of Srpska: Growing renewables share in energy mix

Ten new small hydropower and five solar plants in the Republic of Srpska to be completed by the end of 2017  will increase the share of  renewables in the energy mix  by two percent.

According to Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) data, all together 54 small power plants, out of which 16 hydropower, 36 solar and two biogas power plants, have been eligible for subsidies for power generation from renewable energy sources in 2016.

The total power production from those facilities reached 106.89 gigawatt-hours (GWh) which is the quantity of electricity needed to supply 4% of end consumers in the entity.

The power production in small power plants has contributed to increasing the security of power supply, but also to fulfilling international obligations of the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)  defined by the membership in the Energy Community, says ERS.

“The share of renewable energy is considerably growing in the overall energy mix and in 2017 it will be increased by two percent. The same rate is expected in 2018”, according to ERS.

As these technologies are not competitive on the market, the power production from renewable sources is supported by the incentives such as purchase of energy at guaranteed prices during a 15-year period. Afterwards, the producer will trade energy on the market.

According to the Renewable Action Plan 2015-2020, the Republic of Srpska should build two wind farms in Herzegovina, the southern region of BiH.

The construction of the wind farm Hrgud, with the installed capacity of 48 MW, is expected to begin in 2017. It will be the first wind power plant in the Republic of Srpska, with the annual production of up to 126 GWh of electricity, which is about a half of the power generated by the hydropower plant (HPP) Bočac on the Vrbas river. The wind park should be connected to the grid by 2020.

Another wind farm, Trusina, will be built in the municipality of Nevesinje. Its installed capacity will be 50 MW. The construction of the two wind farms will contribute to the full implementation of the five-year Renewable Action Plan of the Government of the Republic of Srpska, ERS concluded.