Serbia’s transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) has received a EUR 8.5 million grant for the construction of the fourth section of the Trans-Balkan Corridor. The donation will speed up the completion of the project, which is aimed at connecting the power systems of Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, BiH and Montenegro and increasing electricity transit.
The funding from the European Union (EU) under the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), according to Jelena Mateji, director of EMS, is a significant milestone in the construction of the fourth part of the Trans-Balkan Corridor for power transmission.
The Trans-Balkan Corridor, which she described as the largest in EMS history, is worth EUR 200 million, with two parts built so far and a third set to begin construction next year.
The fourth section entails building a 400 kV interconnecting transmission line from the Bajina Bata substation to the borders of Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro. According to EMS, construction will begin in the first half of 2025 and will be completed in 2027.
Mateji emphasized the importance of the corridor for Serbia, the region, and the EU, and recalled that on December 30, last year, a loan deal for EUR 30 million was signed with the German development bank KfW to finance the fourth part.
The building of the final segment of the Trans-Balkan Corridor, according to Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović, is another step toward strengthening energy stability and security of supply for Serbian consumers and businesses.
According to Đedović, the project is also necessary for the construction of the pumped-storage hydroelectric facility RHE Bistrica, a planned investment. She indicated that more transmission system investments are planned, including the development of the Pannonian corridor via Vojvodina and the reinforcement of the grid in Serbia.
According to Đedović, the project is also necessary for the construction of the pumped-storage hydroelectric facility RHE Bistrica, a planned investment. She indicated that more transmission system investments are planned, including the development of the Pannonian corridor via Vojvodina, the strengthening of the grid in central Serbia, and links with Bulgaria and BiH.
The donation contract was signed by Minister for European Integration Tanja Mievi and Director of the KfW Office in Belgrade Rudiger Hartmann, in addition to Minister Dubravka Edovi and EMS director Jelena Mateji.
