Electricity production at the 315 MW Višegrad hydropower plant fell to 44.02 GWh in June 2026, highlighting the growing pressure that weak river flows are placing on hydropower portfolios across Southeast Europe.
The plant’s June production was 39.5 per cent lower than the 72.73 GWh generated in May. Output nevertheless remained above the 33.74 GWh recorded in June 2025, producing a year-on-year increase of roughly 30 per cent despite the monthly decline.
Višegrad generated 627.51 GWh during the first six months of 2026. That is already equivalent to more than 62 per cent of its long-term average annual production of approximately 1,010 GWh, although the deterioration in summer hydrology makes the second-half trajectory less certain.
The plant, operated by Hidroelektrane na Drini, a subsidiary of Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske, produced 781.8 GWh in 2025, compared with 733 GWh in 2024. Its historical record remains 1,283.05 GWh, achieved in 2010.
Commissioned in 1989, the facility consists of three 105 MW units on the Drina River. Its current performance is important for the wider Bosnian electricity balance because hydropower provides both relatively low-cost energy and the flexibility needed to cover peak demand and support exports.
Bosnia and Herzegovina remained a net exporter in early August, delivering approximately 245 MW on average to neighbouring systems. A sustained reduction in hydro output would increase the burden on the country’s coal-fired plants and reduce the electricity available for sale to Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia.
The June decline also forms part of a broader regional pattern. Serbia, Romania, Croatia and parts of the western Balkans are facing weaker hydrological conditions, while low Danube levels are simultaneously affecting both hydropower generation and cooling-water availability for nuclear plants. This combination is increasing the value of reservoir storage and dispatchable generation during the evening hours.
Višegrad’s strong first-half production provides some protection for the annual result, but summer operating conditions are now becoming more decisive. The plant’s commercial value will increasingly depend on preserving water for high-price periods rather than maximising continuous output during a drought-sensitive market.
