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Vranduk hydropower plant construction to begin in summer 2010

Date: March 12^th 2010 Author: Mirsad Bajtarević, Sarajevo Category: Articles
Topic: Electricity , RES and EE

In May or June 2010, Federation BiH is to open their first construction site as part of the programme for building power facilities in this Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity, namely the site for the Vranduk hydropower plant near Zenica on the river Bosna.

This was announced by Vahid Heco, Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining of the Federation BiH, who reminded that the federal government had given consent to the power utility Elektroprivreda BiH to build thermal power stations at Tuzla and Kakanj as well as the Vranduk hydropower plant. At the same time, the Mostar-based power utility of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (Elektroprivreda HZ HB) was granted permission to build the Konkora thermal power plant and mine.

PHOTO: Energetika.NET

Minister Heco elaborated that the government had adopted decisions regarding three new power stations. Elektroprivreda is responsible for the 450-megawatt thermal power plant at Tuzla and the 23-megawatt Vranduk hydropower plant, while Elektroprivreda HZ HB was given green light for the mine and thermal power plant Kongora with two blocks of 275-megawatt capacity. Altogether, those projects signified the beginning of a new investment cycle which had been blocked for nearly two years, minister Heco told to Energetika.NET.

The 23 MW Vranduk hydropower plant will be financed partially through the funds of Elektroprivreda BiH and partially from loans, while for the thermal power stations, they plan to find a strategic partner by end 2010.

The construction site of the Vranduk hydropower plant is to open this year and will be based on a model that excludes privatisation or ownership of the facilities, Heco explained adding that in case the works on the hydropower plant in question indeed started this year, the latter could be completed by 2014.

Some of the power utilities could be built based on public-private partnerships. Taking into consideration the interest of foreign companies and embassies as regards the local energy sector, Heco believes that the country will surely find investors to help them build large energy facilities.

Minister further underlined that Federation BiH needed partners with funds, know-how and technologies to build power facilities which tomorrow could lead the way towards Europe.

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