Director of electricity transmission system operator EMS Jelena Matejic said that energy is the key factor for the stability and security of the whole Serbia, not just the energy system, but also as the potential for the further growth of the economy and the state.
Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining Zorana Mihajlovic reminded that Serbia is realizing one of the biggest electricity transmission projects in the region – the construction of the Trans-Balkan Corridor. During her meeting with the Jelena Matejic, Minister Mihajlovic said that in order for Serbia to be able to be the most important transit corridor, EMS needs to operate as successfully as possible, and compared to all the companies in this sector, it is one of the best. According to her estimate, Trans-Balkan Corridor is an important project, because it will enable the transfer of sufficient quantities of electricity, with minimal losses, thereby creating a sustainable and safe system.
In June, EMS started the construction of a 400 kV Kragujevac-Kraljevo overhead transmission line. This 60 kilometers-long line is part of the second phase of the Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor project on Serbian territory. Total investment in the second phase of the project should amount to 29.6 million euros, which includes the reconstruction of two substations in Kragujevac and Kraljevo. The construction is expected to be completed in early 2021. In March, EMS signed a 13.5 million euros worth contract for the construction of this transmission line with a consortium led by local company Koda Elektromontaza. The financing has been secured through 15 million euros loan from German development bank (KfW), EU grant of 6.5 million euros allocated via the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), and from own financial resources of EMS. The first phase of the Trans-Balkan project in Serbia included the construction of a double-circuit 400 kV transmission line from Pancevo to Romanian border, which was completed in December 2017 and was entirely financed by EMS. The third phase envisages the construction of a 109 kilometers-long 400 kV transmission line from Bajina Basta to Obrenovac, the upgrade of Bajina Basta substation’s capacity to 400 kV, and the overhaul of the Obrenovac substation. The fourth phase will include the construction of 400 kV transmission line linking Bajina Basta to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. The entire Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor, linking Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Romania via a 400 kV transmission line and Montenegro and Italy via an undersea cable, is expected to be operational in 2022.
