Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Djedovic, announced that state-owned power utility EPS is expected to complete the refurbishment of the first turbine at its pump-storage hydropower plant Bajina Basta by December. Work on the second turbine will continue into the next year, and once the upgrades are completed, the plant is projected to operate for another 30 years.
The 35 million euro rehabilitation project at HPP Bajina Basta began in April, focusing on improving safety and extending the plant’s operational lifespan. The first turbine was returned to service in July but was temporarily offline for further work.
Located on the Drina River along the Serbian-Bosnian border, the 614 MW pump-storage hydropower plant has been operational since 1982, along with the adjacent 420 MW conventional HPP, which began service in 1966. The two units together generate approximately 1,200 GWh of electricity annually.
Looking ahead, Serbia plans to build two additional pump-storage hydropower plants in the next decade: HPP Bistrica on the Uvac and Lim river basins in western Serbia and the long-awaited HPP Djerdap 3 on the Danube River near the Romanian border.
