Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded a recovery in electricity generation in May, with gross output reaching 1,106 GWh, up from 830 GWh in the same month of 2025. The higher production supported part of the country’s traditional export capacity. The generation mix remains reliant on coal-fired output and is linked to the operating condition of ageing thermal assets.
Thermal power plants provided 60% of gross electricity output during the month, while hydropower accounted for 27.3%. Wind and solar supplied the remaining 12.7%. Output from renewables outside large hydropower increased, but it has not yet reached a scale that replaces coal as the main source of system stability.
Generation mix and thermal output trends
Net thermal generation totaled 594 GWh, up 4.4% year on year. Hydropower production reached 281 GWh, slightly below the May 2025 level. Combined wind and solar generation rose by 43.9% to 141 GWh.
The increase in wind and solar was the largest contributor to the monthly balance change. It coincided with new capacity additions and improved utilisation of recently commissioned projects. Overall, the domestic generation shift altered Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cross-border electricity position.
Cross-border flows return to net exports
Electricity imports fell by 28.6%, decreasing from 500 GWh to 357 GWh. Exports increased by 31.7%, rising from 489 GWh to 644 GWh. As a result, Bosnia and Herzegovina returned to a net export position of approximately 287 GWh during May.
This export outcome matters for regional power flows because Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the few Western Balkan systems able to generate recurring export surpluses. The value of those exports remains sensitive to hydrology, thermal plant availability, and changes in the carbon-cost differential between the Western Balkans and the European Union.
Lignite recovery and plant-level constraints
Coal production also improved in May, with lignite output reaching 503,000 tonnes, up 71.7% year on year. Brown-coal production rose by 2% to 449,000 tonnes. The figures indicate better fuel extraction compared with an unusually weak May 2025 base.
The national coal totals do not remove constraints at individual sites, as shown by the continued outage at the Ugljevik thermal power plant. Higher lignite production does not necessarily translate into coal meeting required quality, location, and calorific value for each generating unit.
