Brits hire Serbian engineers - Parsons Brinckerhoff interested in participating in metro, railway and energy projects in our country

(Photo: pbworld.com)

Ten Serbian engineers have been hired to work on energy and railway projects in Great Britain, Africa and the Near East, while more of them should soon get a job at the Parsons Brinckerhoff company. This British company opened an office in Belgrade in June with the aim of making the Serbian capital one of the centers to service and provide support to ongoing and future projects in Europe, Africa and the Near East.

- Parsons Brinckerhoff decided to open a branch office in Belgrade as part of its strategy to expand services because they recognized the great competence of Serbian electrical engineers and the quality of electrical engineering schools in Serbia. We`ve already hired ten engineers, which was our plan for the first year in Serbia. Our company is open to hiring even more electrical engineers. The plan is to start cooperation with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade as well as to grant scholarships to certain number of Master`s students - Goran Vukojevic, director of the consulting company Parsons Brinckerhoff for Serbia, said in an interview with eKapija.

Parsons Brinckerhoff, as one of the world`s largest engeering and consulting companies, is capable of providing support, technical expertise and know-how for almost all infrastructure projects. The company`s branch office in Serbia will focus on rendering designing, consulting, project management and feasibility study preparation services in the energy sector.

(Goran Vukojevic)

- Our initial activities were focused on forming and training the teams of engineers and involving them in ongoing projects abroad. In the following period, special attention will be paid to the presentation of our company to prospective clients in Serbia and participation in tenders.

As our interlocutor explained, they are interested in partaking in projects dealing with all types of conventional power plants, renewables, construction of long-distance power lines and substations, as well as those involving the preparation of strategic energy studies.

- We plan to take part in all large infrastructure projects in the field of electrical engineering, given that it is certain that Serbia needs new capacities for generating electricity, which would be accompanied by investments in strengthening the electricity transmission network, which is where we see our chance. With the construction of South Stream gas pipeline and further expansion of the gas system in Serbia, even bigger projects are expected in this field.

Vukojevic also commented on the situation in Serbia`s energy sector, that is, insufficient use of renewables in our country:

- In my opinion, the main reason for insufficient use of renewable energy sources in Serbia lies in the lack of funds, considering that these technologies are still very expensive. However, construction of power plants utilizing the renewable sources of energy would make it possible to reduce electricity imports during the winter, which would have a positive effect on our energy balance, although the electricity generated in that way would be sold at a subsidized rate.

Our interlocutor believes that Serbia still has no wind farm because of inappropriate regulations governing construction, connections to electric grid and power plant management as well as due to a time-consuming construction permitting procedure.

(Photo: pbworld.com)

- Also, an important factor is the fact that there are many insufficiently serious, speculative investors without experience and references in that field and with a strong desire to quickly make money, who have taken away the meaning of the whole process of applying for energy permit, slowed down the real investors and, probably, forced them to go to neighboring countries - Vukojevic points out.

Considering that Parsons Brinckerhoff is working on numerous railway development projects in Europe and Africa, they are interested in participating in similar projects in Serbia as well.

- Rail transport is one of the most important kinds of passenger and freight transportation in every developed country in Europe. Unfortunately, as it is already well known, there has been no investment in Serbia`s railways for almost three decades, which is why the situation in that sector is pretty bad. Big plans for the awakening of Serbia`s economy and industry, increase in the employment rate and general improvement of living standards will be definitely accompanied by investments in railway infrastructure modernization in Serbia.

As the director of Parsons Brinckerhoff pointed out, a modern metro that has been talked about for as many as forty years now will be necessary for Belgrade as the largest capital in this part of Europe.

- Our company is interested in participating in these processes and giving its contribution.

Suzana Obradovic