The reversible hydropower plant “Bistrica” is one of the most significant projects in the new energy strategy in Serbia. The new strategy of energy development, by which is planned that Serbia in the next ten years gets new power plants of about three thousand megawatts, coming to an end, and one of the most important projects included with this document is the construction of reversible hydropower plant “Bistrica” near Nova Varoš municipality.
“This is an investment whose value is estimated at about 700 million euros, and this fact says enough about the importance of the reversible hydropower plant construction for Nova Varoš area. According to the information from Serbian government and the relevant ministry, the final talks and agreement on who, how and when will build a hydroelectric plant should be expected soon, and the most serious candidate for its construction, as things stand, is consortium from Canada “, says the president of municipality Nova Varoš Dimitrije Paunović.
From the office of the minister of energy Zorana Mihajlović is confirmed that Serbia with Canada has a strategic agreement for “Bistrica”, more precisely with ” Lavalin -China nuclear” and that the government is still open to negotiations with other reputable companies, reminding that for our country is most important to find secure partner who will temporally and financially commit to build these new energetic capacities.
Besides the canadian-chinese consortium “Lavalin -China nuclear “, EPS also signed a memorandum on joint work with the austrian company “Andric” and chinese “CWE”.
Reversible HPP “Bistrica” will probably be built within the local EPS Company Drina-Lim power plant, but, because of its importance, would remain in the property of Electric Power Industry of Serbia for the stability of the entire electric power system.
“Bistrica” could produce peak electricity, which is essential for balancing the electric power system that achieves the highest market price. Throughout the region of south east Europe there is a deficit of this energy, and the realization itself is very good because it is calculated that the cost for the construction of this reversible hydro power plant of about 700 MW would amount over 600 million.
Those who know situation in this sector, however, warn that it should not lose from sight the fact that in the meantime the chinese company, which is in a consortium with canadian “Lavalin”, has been found in so-called “black list” of the World Bank because, as recently claimed foreign media, was caught in an international corruption.
Source;Serbia Energy/MERZ
