For the construction of RHE Bistrica, about 324 ha of land on the coast of Uvac will be submerged - EPS is looking for a company to assess environmental impact

For the Bistrica reversible hydroelectric power plant construction project, investment technical documentation and a spatial plan of a special purpose area (SPSPA) with a strategic environmental impact assessment are in progress, the completion of which is expected in 2023. Elektroprivreda Srbije has announced a tender for the preparation of a study on environmental impact assessment, and the value of the work is estimated at RSD 50 million.

As stated in the tender documentation, at the Klak profile in the Uvac canyon, about 5 km downstream from the Radoinja dam, a dam has been designed with a height of 90 m, a crown width of 10 m and a length at the dam crown of 237 m. The reservoir extends in the Uvac valley from the place of Klak to the Radoinjska dam. The main power building (engine building with aggregates) was designed as an underground facility with an exit-entrance building on the right bank of the Potpec lake under the state road Priboj - Bistrica.

- The plan calls for submerging cca 324 ha of land on the banks of the Uvac River for the planned Klak reservoir. Of the total area, 124 ha is agricultural land, 180 ha is pasture and woodland, and 20 ha is river bed and barren land. There are also 15 households with 82 inhabitants in the area earmarked for expropriation - the documentation says.

The area where the construction of the Klak dam and reservoir is planned is located within the Uvac Special Nature Reserve.

RHE Bistrica is a derivation plant with an underground main power building (engine building) located near the right bank of the Lim River on the stretch between the Potpec dam on the downstream side and the Bistrica hydroelectric power plant on the upstream side.

- With this disposition of the facility in question, the existing Potpec reservoir is planned to be the lower one, while the newly designed upper reservoir will be formed by the construction of an embankment dam on the Klak barrier profile downstream from the existing Radoinja dam - it is stated.

The basic equipment of RHE Bistrica, according to the statement, consists of four Francis-type aggregates with a nominal (output) turbine power of P=157.1 MW and a maximum (input) pump power of P=167.9 MW, as "the most favorable technical solution for the elevation of normal retardation in the upper accumulation of 810.00 mnm and for the installed flow of the plant 4 h 54.0 m3/s in the turbine mode, i.e. 4 h 42.0 m3/s in the pumping mode of operation".

The RHE Bistrica project consists of:


The deadline for submitting offers to the tender is August 30.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has recently stated that the construction of the Bistrica hydroelectric power plant is the largest project of great importance for the southern part of the Zlatibor district, and that the price has increased from EUR 700 million to 1.2 billion.

- Bistrica is a big project for us, we once thought it would cost EUR 700 million, but now we see that it will reach 1.2 billion. The minister is going to Japan to negotiate funding, and when it starts, it is as good as done. This project is crucial for the entire southern part of the Zlatibor district. It is also of key importance for balancing energy - said Vucic.

The delegation of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has expressed its interest in cooperation with Serbia on the new construction project of RHE Bistrica, the Ministry of Mining and Energy has announced.

Minister Dubravka Djedovic stated that a special project team has been formed and, together with EPS representatives, will continue with the preparation of project and technical documentation.

- In parallel with the preparation of the environmental impact study and design, it is important to continue discussions on securing financing, because it is a large project with a capacity of 628 MW - she said.

The Minister pointed out that the construction of RHE Bistrica is a priority project as per the Plan for the Development of Energy Infrastructure and Energy Efficiency Measures, adopted by the Government of Serbia, and "will play an important role in our efforts to increase the production of energy from renewable sources."

I.Z.

Elektroprivreda Srbije ad Beograd

Japan International Cooperation Agency - JICA Tokyo

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Elektroprivreda Srbije

Japan Agency for International Cooperation

JICA

Ministry of Mining and Energy

Dubravka Djedovic

Bistrica reversible hydropower plant construction project

RHE Bistrica

Klak

Uvac

Radoinja dam

Uvaca valley

Radoinjska dam

Potpec lake

Priboj state road Bistrica

Special reserve nature Uvac

Lim river

Bistrica hydroelectric plant

Potpec reservoir