Cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Italy in energy sector - new electricity transfer system worth 300m EUR

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been offered to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the electricity transfer operators in Montenegro (AD Prenos) and Italy (TERNA) for construction of new electric power transfer system between this part of the Balkans and Italy. The system consists of 1,000 kV cable of new technology laid across the Adriatic Sea and construction of additional long-distance power lines in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

This investment is worth about 300m EUR (80m EUR of which is the price of the cable). What is also important is that the companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina would participate in construction of necessary long-distance power lines on the land.

The activities accompanying signing of the Memorandum in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the preparation phase are run by Independent System Operator (NOS) in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the State Regulatory Commission for Electric Power.

All the details of that project have been presented by the CEO of NOS, Omer Hodžić, who says that Europe insists on firmer mutual connection of EU members and other countries in the energy sector in order to ensure the supply of power to all of its consumers. That is the opportunity for regional power supply community of southeast Europe to use its own capacities more rationally, as well as to provide export of surplus electricity to those parts of Europe that lack electric power.

There are two alternative routes for transfer of electric energy from long-distance power line to the cable under the sea. The first is Mostar-Neum, while the second is from Mostar to Trebinje and further to the connection with the cable that leads to Italy. According to the experts, construction of the latter is more difficult, but also more likely to happen.

Future export of electric power, as well as its safe transfer, will require 400 kV long-distance power lines on the routes Višegrad – Pljevlja and Banja Luka – Bihać – Zagreb.

Italy decided to lay the cable across the sea after the green parties in that country organized serious protests because they saw the construction of hundreds of kilometers of long-distance power lines as new assault on environment, especially forests. The original plan anticipated laying of the cable between Split and Italy, but the analyses showed that that route was inappropriate.

The variant involving Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro has suddenly become interesting and very probable.