Dabar Hydropower Plant Tunnel Lining Nears Completion

The second-to-last section of the lining in the main headrace tunnel of the Dabar hydropower plant near Nevesinje was concreted overnight between October 24 and 25, and the last section is due to be finished on October 26. The tunnel is the central structure of the plant in eastern Herzegovina, and the news was posted on X on October 25 by SNSD leader Milorad Dodik.

How long is the Dabar tunnel and where does it run?

The tunnel runs from Nevesinje to the Dabar field and is 12,125 meters long. Dodik called it the longest hydrotechnical tunnel in the Balkans and the second longest in southeastern Europe. That is his own assessment, not a figure from an independent source.

The lining is poured in sections, which builders call blocks. The second-to-last was completed overnight, and according to Dodik the last one is closed the following day.

What did Dodik say?

Dodik accompanied the news with a short message:

“A decades-long dream has come true. Republika Srpska is moving forward. Congratulations to the builders, congratulations to our people. We have something to be glad about, something to be proud of.”

The post did not give a date for the plant to start operating.

How much does the hydropower plant cost and who is building it?

Construction began in June 2023. The project covers the municipalities of Nevesinje, Bileca, Berkovici and Ljubinje, over a stretch of about 40 kilometers. The 160-megawatt plant is expected to produce about 500 gigawatt hours of electricity a year.

The project is worth 664 million convertible marks, or about 339.5 million euros. The main contractor is the Chinese company Gezhouba Group, and the local subcontractors are Integral and Elnos.

What did the minister say about deadlines?

Republika Srpska’s Minister of Energy and Mining, Petar Djokic, announced in September 2025, during a visit to the site, that the plant should be finished by the end of 2027. He also said then that the plant would benefit all of eastern Herzegovina, and that the 12-kilometer tunnel was almost done.

Djokic described the construction as an exceptional engineering feat, the first of its kind in the world in the 21st century. After meeting representatives of the Chinese contractor and the local subcontractors, he said they had also discussed certain problems in the work, and that Dabar is a financially demanding project.

On the same visit the minister also spoke about other energy investments in the Nevesinje area: solar plants and wind farms with a combined capacity of 680 megawatts, worth 800 million marks, or about 409 million euros. Among them is the Grebak wind farm, whose concession was awarded in April 2019 and which, he said, has seen delays.