Bosnian Serb power utility ERS has eased qualification requirements for the 60-MW Hrgud wind farm tender, following an appeal against the procurement documentation. The change widens the pool of potential bidders for the project’s €95 million engineering, procurement, construction and financing contract.
The revised conditions reduce both corporate-reference and staffing requirements. Under the updated rules, bidders must submit one reference covering the design and construction of comparable electricity infrastructure worth at least €25 million, excluding VAT, within the past five years. The earlier tender package required four separate references tied to a wind farm of at least 30 MW, a high-voltage substation, mountain roads and a 110-kV transmission line.
Updated experience and licensing requirements
ERS has also shortened the experience requirement for nine technical specialists from five years to two years. In addition, the utility simplified rules related to professional licences and construction methodology.
The procurement changes remove a requirement for bidders to produce their own technical and economic viability assessment demonstrating at least 160 GWh of annual net generation. ERS is expected to issue revised bid deadlines through a further amendment.
EPC+F scope and project build timeline
The contract is structured as EPC+F, meaning the successful contractor or consortium must arrange financing and deliver turbines, roads, substations and transmission infrastructure. The project is located in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina and is expected to include 10 turbines. The build is expected to take two years.
Hrgud’s measured wind speeds exceed eight metres per second. Expected annual generation is around 160 GWh, based on those measured conditions. The eased tender requirements may increase competition while placing additional responsibility on ERS to ensure bidders retain sufficient technical and financial capacity.
