The British company “Kermas” will be a strategic partner and will invest around 77 million euros in the construction of the first wind farm in the Republic of Srpska on the mountain Trusina, close to Nevesinje. The wind farm Trusina will produce yearly, as expected, about 160.000 megawatt-hours of electricity, which means that the first wind farm in the RS will supply about 40.000 households or a city of about 160.000 people.
This company is owned by Serbian businessman Danko Koncar from London. Among others, it also deals with energy. His company operates in several countries, so its worth is estimated at more than 1.5 billion euros.
The wind farm Trusina will produce yearly, as expected, about 160.000 megawatt-hours of electricity, which means that the first wind farm in the RS will supply about 40.000 households or a city of about 160.000 people.
Last year construction works on the wind farm started, whereas the project holder is the company “Eol first” from Nevesinje, but according to the Concession Agreement, the planned deadline will be prolonged until the end of the next year, because the TSO company “Elektroprenos BiH” is unready to connect the wind farm to the grid before the deadline.
Zlatko Mandzuka, the director of the company “Aeolus first” from Nevesinje, founded by the Belgrade company “Omega Plus” with 97% stake, which is also owned by Mandzuka, said that the construction of a wind farm Trusina, according to the Concession Agreement, should have been completed by the end of this fall.
“However, the opening of the first wind farm in RS will have to be postponed until next year because the TSO, the company “Elektroprenos BiH”, which is operating the power transmission network in the country, will be ready to connect Trusina wind farm of 51 MW to the existing network before the end of 2015, ” Mandzuka said.
“After all, according to the recent consolidation of the situation within the TSO “Elektroprenos BiH”, which didn’t perform by the law delegated activity for many years before, the fact that the company will not succeed to enable to provide getting started and delivering electricity from the first wind park in BiH came to light. The construction of the connecting line is being delayed, which is under the jurisdiction of TSO “Elektroprenos BiH”, “ he said.
“This fact is very important for both the investor and concessionaire, the “Aeolus first” company from Nevesinje, because it will have to adjust all the other planned activities on completing the construction of the wind farm Trusina, primarily the transportation and installation of equipment which will be installed just before its putting into operation,” Mandzuka explained.
According to him, the construction works on the site Trusina, in the municipality of Nevesinje, which is located directly above Dabarsko field, have already begun. So that, for the construction of 4.5 kilometers of internal roads, of the total planned 11 kilometers, about 1.700 mines are fired, so far, on the rocky terrain of Herzegovina.
He said that he expected that for penetrating 6.5 remaining kilometers of local roads and the construction of 17 bases on which windmills would have be installed and about 2.600 mines would have be fired. According to him, currently in BIH, 35 wind farm projects, of different sizes, are in faze of their developing, and, so far, the wind farm in Nevesinje is only in the RS, because the other 34 are developing in the Federation.
“The project Trusina went ahead in the development farthest and it is the only project where construction works have been started. The total investment of the wind farm Trusina is around 77 million euros,” Mandzuka said.
According to him, “Kermas” will invest 30% of that amount directly, while the rest will be financed from loan funds.
Besides, in October 2012, RS gave a concession to the company “Eol first” for 30 years to build a wind farm with 17 turbines on Trusina, with total installed capacity of 51 megawatts. Height of wind turbines will be 84 meters in wing rotor diameter of 112 meters, and the total annual production of electricity in the amount of 160.000 megawatt-hours.
Until 2030, according to the Energy Development Strategy of Republic of Srpska, the east Herzegovina is specified as the most promising area for the construction of wind farms, hence the area from Kalinovik to Trebinje.
Momcilo Siljegovic, the Mayor of Nevesinje said that it could have been a driving force of economic development in Nevesinje and they hoped for the engagement of economic entities in the construction of the wind farm, as well as for new jobs.
“We hope this project will be put in operation in deadlines and that will have significant financial funding as far as the municipal budget,” he said.
Who is the investor?
The main investor in the project, and strategic partner in its implementation, is the “Kermas” company, owned by Serbian businessman Danko Koncar, who has been living and working in London for decades, operating in 12 countries on three continents, and its value is estimated at more than 1 5 billion euros. Among other things, “Kermas” deals with the energy as well, they are the owners of the two wind farms in Croatia, Kamensko and Vostane, as well as of two mini-hydro power plants in the FBiH. So far, the “Trusina” is the largest energy project in which this company invests its capital, ant it is the first one in the RS.
Source; Serbia Energy See Desk
