Serbian state-owned power utility EPS said that the funds for non-reimbursable development assistance in the total amount of 49 million euros were approved within the 28th call for technical assistance from the EU Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF) program and the 7th call for co-financing of investment projects through WBIF.
A total of four projects will receive these grants: the project for the rehabilitation of Vlasinske HPPs will receive 16.1 million euros, the project for the construction of the Kostolac wind farm -31.2 million euros and the preparation of investment and technical documentation for the development of Morava and Kolubara A solar power plants will receive 860,000 euros each.
Acting Director of EPS Miroslav Tomasevic said that this is a great success for the company, as it is the first time that multiple grant projects have been approved for one applicant at the same time.
The funds provided for the rehabilitation of Vlasinske HPPs, one of the oldest hydropower systems in Serbia with a total installed capacity of 128 MW, represent 20 % of the total estimated value of the project worth 77.5 million euros.
In May, EPS launched the construction of its first wind farm, located on the ash dump sites near TPP Kostolac. The wind farm will have twenty turbines, supplied by Siemens Gamesa, with total installed capacity of 73 MW. It is expected that the construction of the wind farm will be completed within 26 months. The total cost of the project is estimated to around 114 million euros. According to earlier estimates, annual electricity generation will amount to 115 GWh, enough to cover the demand of some 30,000 homes. This will be the first large-scale RES facility operated by state-owned EPS.
The solar power plant project near TPP Kolubara A will be built on a coal landfill and an ash landfill, with installed capacity of 71 MW and estimated annual electricity generation of 96 GWh. Total investments in the project are estimated at 80.14 million euros. Morava solar power plant will be located near TPP Morava, also on the ash and slag landfill, with installed capacity of 45 MW and estimated annual electricity generation of 60 GWh. The investment is worth around 50 million euros. Both projects should be completed in 2027.
