EBRD to invest EUR 45 million in 23 small hydroelectric power stations

The Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) has reached an agreement on a EUR 45 million investment with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to begin the construction of several new and renovate a number of existing small hydroelectric power stations in Serbia, Dusan Zivkovic, head of the EPS investment sector, has said.

The hydroelectric power stations are located in southeast and southwest Serbia, where the water potential is the greatest, Zivkovic said at a conference on using the renewable energy of water, wind and sun as a path to energy independence, organized by Balkanmagazin, a web-based magazine, in Belgrade on Friday.

- Our goal is that by the end of the year, after completing the ongoing documentation preparation and obtaining permits, we proceed to issue separate invitations to tender for all 23 power plants - Zivkovic said.

The plan is to build a number of new hydroelectric power stations in southeast and southwest Serbia, on the Drina, Ibar and Morava rivers, as well as two pumped-storage hydroelectric power plants Bistrica and Djerdap III, he added.

Zivkovic recalled that a third of the energy produced by the EPS produces came from water resources.