ERS preparing investments worth over EUR 125 million – Tenders for Hrgud wind farm and solar power plant near Trebinje to open in 2020

Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) plans to start building a solar power plant and a wind farm this year, worth over BAM 250 million (EUR 125 million), which is definitely a change for the power company, as their production of electricity has been based on coal and water energy, the CAPITAL portal learns.

According to the temporary operating procurement plan for 2020, a tender for the construction of the Hrgud wind farm in the eponymous location in the municipality of Berkovici will open in the first quarter. ERS plans to finance the project worth BAM 126.12 million (around EUR 63 million) with its own funds, credits and donations, and the Investment Directorate of ERS will be the initiator.

Explorations of wind potential in this location were previously done over the course of one year, based on which the feasibility study for this energy facility was prepared. The middle annual wind velocity is six to eight meters per second at an altitude of 79.5 meters. The plan is to install 16 wind turbines with a total power of 48 MW and annual production of 126 GWh.

Considering the location of the wind farm, more than six kilometers of roads will need to be built.

At the end of this year, a public procurement procedure should open for the construction of a solar plant 12 kilometers southeast of Trebinje.

For this project, ERS plans to secure BAM 136 million (around EUR 68 million), the estimated value of the project, from their own funds and credits. The solar power plant, simply named “Trebinje”, will have an installed power of 100 MW and an annual production of 147.7 GWh.

According to official data, ERS produces 56% of its total electricity at thermal power plants, whereas 44% is produced at hydro power plants.

When it comes to the public procurement procedures pertaining to these sources, the plan is to procure the equipment for the preparation of coal, worth BAM 32 million (EUR 16 million), and investments of slightly under BAM 9 million (EUR 4.5 million) in the Hydro Electrical System Gornja Drina have also been announced.

Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske

HES Gornja Drina

Hrgud wind farm

Hrgud

Trebinje solar power plant