Serbia has revised its Baselines of the Energy Infrastructure Development Plan and Energy Efficiency Measures for the period up to 2028, with projections extending to 2030. The document sets out priority projects in the energy sector. The original plan was adopted in mid-2023 at the proposal of the Ministry of Mining and Energy.
In the new version of the plan, the construction of 1 GW of wind farms is no longer among the priority projects. The plan was previously intended to be implemented with a strategic partner, much like the ongoing 1 GW solar power project currently being developed by state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS).
The development plan guides the implementation of Serbia’s Energy Development Strategy and the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). The investment cycle for the forthcoming period forms the basis for the country’s energy strategy and future projections for its energy mix through 2030 and 2050. The plan aligns with Serbia’s international commitments under its European Union accession process and its obligations within the Energy Community. It covers projects across six sectors: electricity generation, transmission network, distribution network, natural gas, oil and petroleum products, and energy efficiency. The document ranks projects within each sector according to their priority.
The most significant change in renewable energy is the removal of the 1 GW wind farm from the priority list. The total capacity for wind power has been lowered to up to 500 MW. The 1 GW solar power and the Kostolac wind farm remained among the four most important endeavors, while the Morava and Kolubara photovoltaic projects were newly added. The Klenovnik solar power plant was removed from the list.
According to the document, the listed projects are the most advanced and realistic. The total number of EPS power generation projects has been reduced to 41, which is 20 less than in the original plan. The authors explained that the number of renewable energy projects is lower but more realistic and well-optimized. The total portfolio of EPS projects across all sectors requires significant funding and borrowing, and pursuing a large number of high-value projects at once would be challenging to implement physically and financially.
It was also taken into account that many private projects, mainly wind farms, are progressing through the auction system. Therefore, EPS focuses primarily on solar power to create a balanced ratio of wind and solar energy in its portfolio. The company’s project for a wind farm with a strategic partner remained a backup option in case additional capacity is needed in the future.
