EBRD tightens environmental, disclosure standards for all hydropower projects
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has unveiled its new good governance policies after conducting public consultations across 8 cities, including Belgrade, Serbia. According to its new Environmental and Social Policy, the EBRD will require its financial intermediaries to refer all high-risk sub projects, including all hydropower projects, back to the EBRD’s in-house […]
Petition to ban small hydropower plants submitted to Montenegrin Parliament
NGO Green Home has filed a petition backed by 6,300 signatures to the Parliament of Montenegro to ban the construction of small hydropower plants (SHPPs), local media reported. Residents of Podgorica, Nikšić, Plav, Berane, and Šavnik backed the petition requesting the Parliament to initiate a discussion and propose a ban on the construction of SHPPs, […]
There is no life without water, and small hydropower plants would extinguish it on Stara Planina
Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta has been fighting against the construction of run-of-river small hydropower plants (SHPPs) on Mt. Stara Planina (the Balkan mountain range) since 2016. Growing up, Jovanović witnessed much better hydrological days of the rivers and streams of Stara Planina, which have since been hurt by climate change and investors’ plans to build SHPPs. […]
Dimitrovgrad municipality proposes ban on SHPPs on its territory
The Municipal Council of Dimitrovgrad in eastern Serbia has adopted a decision to propose the expulsion of all potential locations for the construction of small hydropower plants (SHPPs) from the local spatial plan, Južne vesti reported. The 1987 cadastre for SHPPs envisages the construction of 12 facilities in the Dimitrovgrad municipality and although none have […]
Investors alone have benefits from small hydropower plants – citizens, state and municipalities have none
The authorities did not consider the possible environmental impact when they lightly issued construction permits for small hydropower plants (SHPPs) and approved incentives for privileged electricity producers. And then the adept investors saw the opportunity to make profits – they lobbied to adjust regulations and, coupled with poor inspection work on the ground, the situation […]
Albania to terminate 17 concession contracts for hydropower projects
Albania’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy has found 9 more cases of contract violations during its review of concession agreements for hydropower plants (HPPs). This amounts to 17 concession deals the ministry has started severing, the ministry said on its website. The ministry did not reveal the names of investors in question, the location of […]
Only 13 out of 250 Serbian MPs support initiative to protect water under Constitution
Thirteen out of 250 members of the parliament (MPs) of the Republic of Serbia have signed the Green Party’s initiative to protect drinking water as one of the most important resources under the Constitution. The Green Party has announced that it will soon start a campaign to collect 150,000 signatures in order to bring the […]
Initiative to protect drinking water under the Constitution launched in Serbian parliament
The Green Party has launched an initiative in the parliament of the Republic of Serbia to protect drinking water under the Constitution. The Green Party recently presented a five-point plan for the “unchecked surge of small hydropower plants (SHPPs)”. The plan’s key point is to protect drinking water under the Constitution and in the meantime […]