Serbian state utility EPS is preparing a €65 million modernisation of the 104 MW Bistrica hydropower plant, aiming to extend the 65-year-old facility’s operating life by at least another three decades.
The project will retain the plant’s existing installed capacity but improve efficiency and reliability.
EPS expects annual production to increase from around 330 GWh to as much as 350 GWh, depending on hydrological conditions.
Financing has been secured through a European Investment Bank loan and a €7.5 million Western Balkans Investment Framework grant.
EPS is in the final phase of contractor selection, with the complete modernisation expected to take no more than four years once works begin.
Both generating units will receive new generators, while turbines, governing equipment and intake gates will be replaced. The project also includes reconstruction of the 35 kV switchgear.
Analogue relay controls will be replaced by a modern distributed-control system, supported by a new central SCADA platform and additional automation and monitoring equipment.
The project is focused less on adding capacity than on extracting more production from the same water resource while lowering maintenance requirements and extending the life of one of EPS’s oldest hydro assets.
