Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Djedovic, announced that the government plans to begin preparatory work on the Bistrica pump-storage hydropower plant (HPP) in 2026. To ensure the project moves forward smoothly, she emphasized the importance of efficient prior procedures and financing negotiations, with the goal of confirming project funding by the fall of 2025.
Minister Djedovic highlighted that significant progress had already been made in 2024 in the preparatory phase for the HPP Bistrica project. This includes the completion of the conceptual design, a feasibility study, and a draft environmental impact study, as well as the adoption of a spatial plan for the special-purpose area where the plant will be built.
A team from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has begun evaluating the project, is currently in Serbia. The team will visit the proposed site near Nova Varos next week and will remain in the country for a month to further assess the project.
In addition to HPP Bistrica, Minister Djedovic noted that Serbia’s energy system will also gain 715 MW of additional capacity from solar and wind power projects, following the country’s first auctions for renewable energy market premiums.
The Bistrica plant, located in the Lim River watershed near existing hydropower plants Uvac, Bistrica, and Potpec, is set to be one of the largest energy projects in Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had announced in late 2021 that the country would invest between 600 and 700 million euros in the project. The plant will feature four units with a combined installed capacity of 680 MW. Recent estimates suggest the overall cost of the project will reach 1.2 billion euros.
President Vucic confirmed that the financing for the construction of Serbia’s second pump-storage HPP (the first being HPP Bajina Basta) is already secured. He also emphasized that the Bistrica plant is crucial for balancing fluctuations in the output of wind and solar energy, supporting the integration of more renewable energy into the grid.
Looking ahead, President Vucic expressed confidence that by 2028, Serbia will be producing enough electricity to become a net exporter. In September, the Government of Japan approved the start of a preparatory study for a potential JICA loan for the HPP Bistrica construction, with a final financing decision expected by the second half of 2025.
