Bosnia and Herzegovina produced 7.44 TWh of electricity in the first half of 2026, an increase of 3.5 per cent compared with the same period of 2025. However, the headline growth figure concealed a significant shift in the country’s generation mix, with hydroelectricity and renewables gaining ground while coal-fired output declined.
Hydroelectric generation increased by 32.4 per cent to 3.13 TWh, while output from transmission-connected wind and solar plants rose 16.1 per cent to 0.64 TWh. In contrast, coal-fired generation fell 16.9 per cent to 3.07 TWh, marking a substantial reduction in the contribution of the country’s traditional thermal fleet.
The stronger domestic generation balance enabled Bosnia and Herzegovina to reduce electricity imports by almost 40 per cent, following a record expenditure of BAM 629 million, or approximately €321.6 million, on imported power during 2025. Exports nevertheless declined by around 20 per cent, suggesting that the additional hydroelectric generation was used primarily to displace imports and weaker thermal output rather than restore the country’s former export surplus.
Hydropower and coal each accounted for roughly 41–42 per cent of first-half electricity production, while grid-connected wind and solar contributed approximately 9 per cent. The resulting mix is considerably more balanced than Bosnia and Herzegovina’s traditional dependence on ageing lignite-fired generation, although the improvement remains highly exposed to hydrological conditions.
A return to dry conditions would remove a significant volume of low-variable-cost hydroelectric generation at the same time as the thermal fleet continues to face challenges linked to mine performance, environmental requirements and ageing equipment. Utilities can therefore achieve substantial reductions in import expenditure during favourable water years without resolving the structural availability problems affecting the country’s coal assets.
For regional power traders, the decline in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s import requirement removes one source of demand during wet periods, while lower exports create an opposing effect. The country is becoming less consistently directional in cross-border electricity trading. Hydrological conditions, coal plant outages and reservoir management decisions can now shift the market between importer and exporter more rapidly than its historical generation profile would suggest.
