Zorana Mihajlovic, Minister of Energy, says that nobody from her ministry was told that it is not a good time for construction of this HPP.
The new strategy of energy development which projects new power gen facilities in Serbia, 3.000 MW strong, is available and is being completed and the first version will be completed soon- Deputy Minister of Energy, Dejan Trifunovic, stated.
Strategy is significant because of investments and some of priority projects are construction of TPP “Kostolac B3” that can be online since 2018 or 2019 likewise reversible HPP “Bistrica” (near Nova Varos).
Source from the Government who is informed about the whole problematic asks why we should wait a decade to construct reversible HPP “Bistrica” if there have been interested parties for a very long time so far- Austrians, Chinese and Canadians.
The same source says that Chinese Company CWE in agreement with our government should deliver financial and technical offer for “Bistrica” until March this year, but they didn’t manage because Ministry of Energy and EPS supposedly told them that it is not time for this project.
Dr Zorana Mihajlovic, Minister of Energy, said for “Politika” that there is no delegation that she didn’t host.
-If someone else showed some interest in construction of “Bistrica”, Ministry have always stressed that we have strategic memorandum with Canada i.e. company “SNC-Lavalin” which is interested for construction of “Bistrica”. The fact that memorandum should go through parliament and that nothing has been arranged so far and delegation from “SNC-Lavalin” will probably come to Belgrade during the mid of this month- Minister Mihajlovic explained.
-Serbia has a strategic memorandum for HPP “Bistrica” with Canadians, but we are opened for cooperation so data that show that we have obligated to Chinese CWE is not clear- she explained.
Canadian Company “Lavalin” has been interested for “Bistrica for a very long time but it is the most important for Serbia that it has a serious partner that will obligate timely and financially in order to construct new capacities- Mihajlovic explained.
EPS has signed a memorandum for common work with Austrian Company “Andritz”, Chinese-Canadian Consortium “SNC-Lavalin” and Chinese Company “CWE” whose expert teams have visited EPS and Drina-Lim plants where they completed technical and commercial offer for several times after signing the memorandum with EPS.
Source Politika/Serbia Energy
