Serbia’s TSO EMS inks contract for Obrenovac – Bajina Bašta power line within Trans-Balkan Corridor
Serbia’s transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije signed a contract for the construction of a two-system 400 kV transmission line from the Obrenovac substation to the Bajina Bašta substation.
The power line from the Obrenovac substation to the Bajina Bašta substation is part of the third section of the Trans-Balkan Corridor for the transmission of electricity, a project of national and regional significance, TSO Elektromreža Srbija (EMS) said.
The Trans-Balkan Corridor connects Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Italy.
Apart from the transmission line, the third section comprises equipping two switchyards in the Obrenovac substation and upgrading the Bajina Bašta substation to 400 kV.
The job was awarded to Kodar Energomotaža at an international tender
The transmission line will be 109 kilometers long. The start of construction is planned for April, while the completion is expected in 2027.
The project is financed by EMS, a donation from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), and a loan from Germany’s KfW Development Bank.
The EUR 71 million contract was signed by EMS CEO Jelena Matejić and Mladen Žujković, the representative of Kodar Energomontaža, the contractor. The company was selected after a complex international tender, according to Serbia’s TSO.
The first section of the Trans-Balkan Corridor, from Pančevo to the Romanian border, was completed and put online in December 2017.
The second section was finished in June 2022. It consisted of transmission lines between Kragujevac and Kraljevo and upgrading the substations in the two cities.
Matejić: Serbia is a crucial electricity hub in this part of Europe
The corridor plan also has a fourth section. It envisages a double 400 kV power line between the substations in Bajina Bašta in Serbia, Višegrad in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Pljevlja in Montenegro.
“The Trans-Balkan electricity transmission corridor is certainly one of the most important infrastructure projects to safeguard a stable supply of electricity in our country. It will also enable the integration of the electricity market and position Serbia as a crucial electricity hub in this part of Europe,” Matejić stressed.
The importance of the Trans-Balkan Corridor was demonstrated recently by the commissioning of the second system within the transmission link between Romania and Serbia. It increased the cross-border transmission capacity by 80% – from 500 MW to 900 MW.
