The 315 MW Višegrad hydropower plant generated 72.73 GWh of electricity in May 2026, falling sharply from April but remaining above its performance in the corresponding month of last year.
Hidroelektrane na Drini, a subsidiary of Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske, reported that monthly generation declined by 34.1% from 110.36 GWh in April. Compared with May 2025, when production reached 59.11 GWh, output increased by approximately 23%.
The monthly decline therefore appears to represent a change in hydrological conditions after a strong April rather than a deterioration in the plant’s underlying operating performance. Hydropower production in the Drina basin can shift considerably between months as inflows, reservoir management and downstream system requirements change.
Cumulative generation reached 583.49 GWh during the first five months of 2026. That was already equivalent to almost 75% of the plant’s full-year production of 781.8 GWh in 2025 and nearly 80% of the 733 GWh generated in 2024.
Višegrad was commissioned in 1989 and comprises three units of 105 MW each. Its long-term average annual production is approximately 1,010 GWh, while the record of 1,283.05 GWh was achieved in 2010.
At the May run rate, the plant would not maintain the unusually strong pace recorded earlier in 2026. Nevertheless, cumulative output of 583.49 GWh means Višegrad had already achieved almost 58% of its long-term annual average before entering the second half of the year.
The plant remains important to the electricity balance of Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina because hydro generation provides dispatchable output and reduces exposure to coal availability and imported electricity. Its commercial value is also increasing as solar penetration creates larger differences between midday and evening prices. Reservoir-based hydro can shift generation toward the more expensive hours, provided water-management and environmental constraints allow it.
Višegrad’s strong cumulative performance provides Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske with a useful production buffer, but the final annual result will depend on summer and autumn hydrology. The May decline demonstrates how quickly that advantage can narrow when inflows weaken.
