Serbian national transmission system operator, Elektromreža Srbije jsc (EMS) signed an agreement on the construction of a high-voltage transmission power line from Kragujevac to Kraljevo.
The 400 kilowatts (kW) transmission line is part of the second phase of the Trans-Balkan Corridor for power transmission, a project of particular national and regional significance contributing to secure and stable the power supply in Serbia as well as the electricity market coupling of Eastern and Western Europe.
“The transmission power line that we are building is of huge importance for the stability and security of power supply in central Serbia,” commented Jelena Matejić, General Manager of EMS. “But, being a part of the Trans-Balkan Corridor, it is also of big regional significance, because it will be an important part of a single highway in this part of Europe.”
The total contract value of works and equipment for the 60 kilometres long power line amounts to 13.5 million euros. The work should commence within a month, with a time limit for completion of 610 days. The total investment value of the second phase is 29.6 million euros.
Financing of the project is secured from multiple funds in addition to the own financial resources of the Serbian transmission system operator. The KfW Development Bank of Germany approved a loan amounting to 15 million euros to EMS (supported by Serbia’s sovereign guarantee). Furthermore, an EU grant of 6.5 million euros will be allocated to EMS via the EU Western Balkans Investment Framework from the European Western Balkans Joint Fund.
Aleksandar Antić, Minister of Energy and Mining welcomed the investment decision as a project of exceptional regional importance.
“The construction of this electricity high-way will have a high impact to the general energy stability in the region, since it now connects us, via Romania, with Eastern Europe, but after completion of the next phases it will connect us with Western Europe, too,” Mr Antić said.
The Trans-Balkan corridor aims to improve conditions for electricity transmission from the Northern to the Southern part of the region, thus allowing the further integration of the electricity market as one of the priorities of the European energy policy. The corridor would enable better interconnection between the electricity transmission systems of Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and improve their connection to Croatia, Hungary, Romania and Italy.
The first phase of the Serbian section of the Trans-Balkan Corridor was completed in 2017 with the construction of a double circuit 400kV transmission line from Pančevo to the Romanian border. Once the power line from Kragujevac to Kraljevo will be installed, a third phase will follow with the construction of a 109 kilometres long transmission line from Bajina Bašta to Obrenovac. The fourth and final phase envisages a double 400kV transmission line running from Bajina Bašta to Višegrad (Bosnia-Herzegovina) and Pljevlja (Montenegro).
