The Serbian Government has announced the adoption of a spatial plan for the Bistrica pumped storage hydropower plant project, which is set to have a capacity of 628 MW. This initiative is located in western Serbia and encompasses an area of 253 square kilometers across the municipalities of Nova Varos, Priboj, and Prijepolje, including the existing Potpec hydropower plant on the Lim River.
The project will involve the construction of a dam on the Uvac River to create the upper reservoir, named Klak, while utilizing the existing Potpec reservoir as the lower reservoir.
Dragan Stankovic, head of maintenance and renewable energy investments at the state utility EPS, stated that construction of HPP Bistrica is planned to commence in 2026. Ongoing negotiations are taking place with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) regarding project financing.
Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Djedovic, indicated that the goal is to complete the construction of HPP Bistrica by 2031, with an estimated investment exceeding 1 billion euros. The facility will consist of four units, collectively capable of generating around 1,100 GWh of electricity annually.
