A comprehensive upgrade of the Vlasinske hydropower plants has officially entered the implementation phase, as Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) gathered contractors and supervisory bodies to launch a €109.7 million modernization program.
The engineering contract has been awarded to Energotehnika Južna Bačka, while core generator equipment will be supplied by Andritz Hydro and Gamesa Electric. The overhaul of command and control infrastructure will be carried out by the Mihajlo Pupin Institute, and project supervision has been entrusted to the Swiss-Serbian consortium Gruner-NET Invest.
Funding for the project comes from multiple sources. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a €67 million loan, complemented by a €15.43 million EU grant via the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). The remaining €27.26 million will be covered from EPS’ own resources.
Although the installed capacity of the Vlasinske HPPs totals 129 MW, the technical scope is extensive. The cascade consists of four interconnected plants with ten generating units that have been operating for over 70 years. According to EPS CEO Dušan Živković, the modernization is expected to extend operational life, enhance output, and improve long-term reliability.
The Vlasinske facilities hold a special role in EPS’s portfolio, functioning as a cascade system capable of generating electricity sequentially across multiple plants. This configuration makes them particularly valuable for peak load balancing within the national electricity network.
