Tender for construction of main RHPP Bistrica plant next year – Preparatory works expected to begin in coming months

The preparatory works for the construction of the Bistrica reversible hydroelectric power plant (RHPP) are expected to begin in the coming months, while the tender for works on the main plant should be announced next year, announced Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic.

At the seventh session of the Working Group for Participation in the Implementation of the Project, activities on the preparation of technical and tender documentation, cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as well as preparations for the next phases of the project were analyzed.

According to the minister, so far, 245 requests have been submitted to the competent authorities for obtaining conditions for various types of permits and approvals, with part of the procedures being carried out over the past six months.

When it comes to planning documentation, four urban development projects have been confirmed, which, as stated, provides a complete planning basis for the implementation of the project. Eight location requirements have also been obtained, while six more are in the process, and their completion is expected by the end of September.

At the same time, six decisions on public interest for expropriation have been declared, which has enabled the resolution of property-legal relations on all plots included in the planning documentation.

The preliminary designs for the main system and the connecting distribution facility have been completed and submitted to the State Audit Institution for review. The development of 11 more preliminary designs is in the final phase, which should be submitted for review by the end of the year.

As Djedovic Handanovic specified, the preliminary designs and the designs for the construction permit are being prepared simultaneously, and in accordance with the current dynamics of the project, it is expected that the conditions for issuing the construction permit for the main facility will be provided at the beginning of next year.

Cooperation with JICA has meanwhile intensified, and during the Specialized Exhibition EXPO 2027, which will be held in Belgrade, a loan agreement with this Japanese agency is planned to be signed. The tender for the works on the main plant should be announced next year, in compliance with JICA’s requirements.

The session also highlighted issues that will require coordination between several institutions in the coming period, primarily the disposal of excavated material, as well as the consideration and adoption of the environmental and social impact assessment study prepared by JICA.

The RHPP Bistrica is one of Serbia’s key strategic energy projects. The total installed capacity is planned to be almost 660 MW, with an annual production of approximately 1,600 GWh of electricity.

Djedovic Handanovic assessed that activities on the project had been significantly accelerated, especially since the end of last year, with the expectation that intensive coordination of the competent institutions would continue in the next period.

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Ministry of Mining and Energy

JICA

Dubravka Đedović Handanović

RHPP Bistrica