Bistrica Hydro Plant: Design Project Approved
Serbia's energy ministry working group approved the main design project for the reversible hydropower plant. A building permit is expected in early 2027, and the JICA loan deal is set for Expo 2027.
Installed capacity of 660 megawatts and annual output of about 1,600 gigawatt-hours: that is the framework of the reversible hydropower plant (RHE) Bistrica project, which moved into the pre-construction phase on September 7. At the seventh session of the Special Working Group for the project’s implementation, the main design project was approved, and Mining and Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, who chaired the session, announced that preparatory works are beginning.
“Preparatory works are expected to begin in the coming months,” Djedovic Handanovic said at the session.
So far, 245 requests for conditions covering various types of permits and approvals have been submitted to the relevant authorities, some of which have been processed over the past six months. “245 requests for conditions for various types of permits and approvals have been submitted to the relevant authorities,” the minister said.
What Has Been Done on the Planning Side
Four urban development projects have been confirmed, which, according to the session, secures a complete planning basis for the project’s implementation. Of the eight required site conditions, eight have already been obtained, while six are still in procedure and are expected to be completed by the end of September.
Six decisions establishing public interest for expropriation have also been adopted, resolving the property and legal status of the parcels covered by the planning documentation.
Design Projects Now Under Review
The design projects for the main system and the connecting switching station have been submitted to the Review Commission. Another 11 design projects are in the final stage of preparation and will be submitted by the end of the year. According to the timeline presented at the session, the design projects and the building-permit projects are being prepared at the same time, and the building permit for the main facility is expected in early 2027.
The tender for works on the main facility will be announced in 2027, in line with the requirements of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is co-financing the project. The loan agreement with JICA is expected to be signed during the specialized Expo 2027 exhibition in Belgrade.
What Remains Open
The session concluded that coordination among several institutions will be needed in the coming period on two issues: disposal of excavation material, and the environmental and social impact study being prepared by JICA.
RHE Bistrica is being built in the Lim River canyon, in the municipalities of Priboj and Nova Varos, and ranks among Serbia’s key strategic energy projects. Unlike two other energy projects currently in focus, the feasibility studies for a possible nuclear power plant and a gas-fired power plant, the Bistrica project is already at a stage where the months until the building permit, and the exact amount of the loan being signed, are being counted.
