January 23, 2026
by in News

US firm eyes construction of three gas-fired power plants in BiH

A US company is interested in building three gas-fired power plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to Dragan Čović, First Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.

The natural gas power plants would be connected to the planned Southern Gas Interconnection and the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Krk, Croatia, Dragan Čović explained in an interview with Avaz.

The Southern Gas Interconnection is a project designed to provide BiH with an alternative natural gas supply. The country currently relies on Russian gas delivered via Serbia, while the new pipeline would secure imports from the Croatian LNG terminal. The interconnection has been in development for many years, but construction has yet to begin.

Čović revealed that the power plants would be built in the Mostar area, central Bosnia, and in Tuzla. He expressed the belief that the interconnection is crucial for BiH, arguing it would ensure the country’s long-term energy and political stability.

Čović spoke with Bechtel’s representatives

Because the pipeline passes through areas with a majority Croat population, the project is also of strategic interest to the Croat people in BiH, added Čović, who is also the president of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH).

Čović recently met with representatives of US construction company Bechtel and the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), which provides financing and technical support for international projects. Bechtel is currently being considered as a potential contractor for the pipeline’s construction.

He met with Justin Siberell, Bechtel’s President for Regions and Corporate Relations, and Sam Kwon, the USTDA’s General Counsel.

AAFS Infrastructure and Energy also visited BiH

The guests from the US also met with Acting President of the Republic of Srpska Ana Trišić-Babić and Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry of the Federation of BiH Vedran Lakić. FBiH and the Republic of Srpska are the two entities making up BiH.

Earlier, representatives of US-based AAFS Infrastructure and Energy also visited the country. According to Čović, the company is expected to receive a 30-year concession to manage the gas pipeline through BiH.

He explained that the three proposed power plants were included in the letter of intent that the firm sent to BiH authorities. The US partners’ plans extend far beyond the construction of the pipeline, he added.

A broader geopolitical dimension

Čović expressed the belief that these investments would carry a significant geopolitical dimension, claiming that if the US invests somewhere, that region is protected. This is demonstrated by the policy of President Donald Trump around the world, he added.

Čović dismissed claims that HDZ BiH is hindering the construction of the gas pipeline due to disagreements with Bosniak officials about project details. It is in the strategic interest of the Croat people to implement it, he stressed.

Of note, the Republic of Srpska has also announced plans to build gas-fired power plants and a new gas interconnection with Serbia.

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January 23, 2026
by in News

US firm eyes construction of three gas-fired power plants in BiH

A US company is interested in building three gas-fired power plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to Dragan Čović, First Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.

The natural gas power plants would be connected to the planned Southern Gas Interconnection and the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Krk, Croatia, Dragan Čović explained in an interview with Avaz.

The Southern Gas Interconnection is a project designed to provide BiH with an alternative natural gas supply. The country currently relies on Russian gas delivered via Serbia, while the new pipeline would secure imports from the Croatian LNG terminal. The interconnection has been in development for many years, but construction has yet to begin.

Čović revealed that the power plants would be built in the Mostar area, central Bosnia, and in Tuzla. He expressed the belief that the interconnection is crucial for BiH, arguing it would ensure the country’s long-term energy and political stability.

Čović spoke with Bechtel’s representatives

Because the pipeline passes through areas with a majority Croat population, the project is also of strategic interest to the Croat people in BiH, added Čović, who is also the president of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH).

Čović recently met with representatives of US construction company Bechtel and the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), which provides financing and technical support for international projects. Bechtel is currently being considered as a potential contractor for the pipeline’s construction.

He met with Justin Siberell, Bechtel’s President for Regions and Corporate Relations, and Sam Kwon, the USTDA’s General Counsel.

AAFS Infrastructure and Energy also visited BiH

The guests from the US also met with Acting President of the Republic of Srpska Ana Trišić-Babić and Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry of the Federation of BiH Vedran Lakić. FBiH and the Republic of Srpska are the two entities making up BiH.

Earlier, representatives of US-based AAFS Infrastructure and Energy also visited the country. According to Čović, the company is expected to receive a 30-year concession to manage the gas pipeline through BiH.

He explained that the three proposed power plants were included in the letter of intent that the firm sent to BiH authorities. The US partners’ plans extend far beyond the construction of the pipeline, he added.

A broader geopolitical dimension

Čović expressed the belief that these investments would carry a significant geopolitical dimension, claiming that if the US invests somewhere, that region is protected. This is demonstrated by the policy of President Donald Trump around the world, he added.

Čović dismissed claims that HDZ BiH is hindering the construction of the gas pipeline due to disagreements with Bosniak officials about project details. It is in the strategic interest of the Croat people to implement it, he stressed.

Of note, the Republic of Srpska has also announced plans to build gas-fired power plants and a new gas interconnection with Serbia.

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December 2, 2025
by in News

Federation of BiH to upgrade air quality monitoring with EUR 1.1 million

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is investing BAM 2.2 million to upgrade the air quality monitoring system.

Federal Minister of Environment and Tourism Nasiha Pozder has signed contracts worth BAM 2.19 million (EUR 1.1 million) for the procurement of up-to-date equipment to upgrade the measurement program of the stations in the Federal Air Quality Monitoring Network.

The units are managed by the Federal Hydrometeorological Institute (FHMZ).

The procurement of the equipment is financed by a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), as part of the Air Quality Improvement Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is being implemented with the support of the World Bank.

The equipment will be supplied by two firms

The contracts envisage the purchase of air quality equipment worth BAM 1.8 million KM (about EUR 920,000) to be supplied by Sarajevo-based firm E3, and laboratory equipment worth BAM 142.422 KM (about EUR 73,000), to be delivered by Altium International, registered in Sarajevo. The third one – worth BAM 218,040 KM (EUR 111,500) – is for spare parts, and the supplier is also E3.

The equipment will enable the full implementation of the measurement program at all stations of the federal network, including all key parameters for assessing air quality, according to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Mostar and Tuzla will get two stations

The system has been further expanded with the installation of two fixed stations in Mostar and Tuzla. FHMZ also received one mobile station for emergency field measurements in case of accidents.

The FHMZ laboratory has also been improved. Now it has the capacity to conduct analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), important indicators of pollution and health risks to the population.

The equipment represents a significant step toward a more comprehensive, reliable, and modern air quality monitoring system in FBiH, the ministry underlined.

Pozder: Faster response to increases in air pollution

Minister Pozder stressed it is one of the most concrete steps toward strengthening the infrastructure for air quality monitoring.

She recalled that the public has the right to accurate information about the air it breathes and that institutions are obligated to provide reliable data and modern systems.

“Today, we are entering a new phase of modernization that will enable better planning and faster responses to increased air pollution,” Pozder said.

Almir Bijedić, director of FHMZ, pointed out that the new equipment and information system would significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of the institution’s work. It is the largest investment to date, he added.

Bijedić: It is very important that now we have the ability to analyze the concentration of PAHs

“FHMZ will be able to provide higher quality and faster information to citizens and institutions. It is very important that the new system enables the analysis of PAHs, allowing us for the first time to fully monitor the parameters critical for assessing health risks. This is a major step forward for the institute and the Federation of BiH,” Bijedić said.

The ministry noted it is completing the procurement of a new air quality information system, estimated at BAM 150,000 (EUR 77,000). It will significantly improve the digital capabilities of the monitoring system.

The new software will enable faster and more reliable validation and verification of data, real-time data display, centralized management, and more secure data storage, as well as more detailed trend analyses and automated reporting to the European Environment Agency (EEA), the Ministry of Environment and Tourism explained.

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August 14, 2025
by in News

Worrying results of coal, overburden production in BiH’s power utility

Coal deliveries to thermal power plants in the first half of the year reached 73% of the plan, while only 43% of the overburden excavation target was achieved, warned Sanel Buljubašić, CEO of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Bosne i Hercegovine (EPBiH).

Increasing coal production is the only way to stabilize the energy system in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), Sanel Buljubašić told state news agency Fena. Focus.ba republished the report.

FBiH is one of the two entities making up BiH. The other one is the Republic of Srpska.

The chief executive pointed to the significance of coal, stressing that 80% of EPBiH’s production comes from coal power plants, with hydropower plants providing the remainder.

Of note, the company recorded a loss of BAM 45.47 million (EUR 23.25 million) for the first half of this year. BiH’s electricity imports were 4.5 times higher than in the same period of 2024.

Buljubašić: We will fulfill our obligations only if the mines fulfill theirs

Buljubašić recalled that the Government of FBiH raised the price of coal at the beginning of 2024 and signed a new collective agreement in the mining sector to demonstrate its commitment to improving working conditions for miners and their status.

The coal mines are operating under an entity called EPBiH Concern. They must produce the planned quantities of coal, which have been jointly agreed and contracted, the CEO underscored and added that EPBiH would meet its obligations only if the mines do the same.

Buljubašić said RMU Breza and RMU Đurđevik are facing the most pressing issues while that RU Kreka is making its best result of the past three years. Coal mine operators RU Kreka, RMU Kakanj, and RMU Abid Lolić have increased production, he added.

Of the nearly 5,000 workers, 1,226 are occupationally disabled

The company head said EPBiH Concern’s mines employ 4,967 workers, of whom 1,226 are occupationally disabled. Additionally, on average, between 1,500 and 1,700 employees are absent every day for various reasons, such as annual leave or sick leave.

In his words, restructuring would imply a program for surplus workers at RMU Zenica, closing mines that are technologically and economically unviable and continuing investments by procuring equipment for economically viable mines to increase productivity.

One of the main problems is the devastated coal deposits, a result of years of delay in overburden excavation, Buljubašić stressed.

Just transition includes mine shutdowns, installation of solar power, batteries, and the use of biomass

The just transition project in BiH’s coal regions, estimated at BAM 160 million (EUR 81.8 million), is being implemented with a World Bank loan. Most of the funds will be spent on closing mines and taking care of surplus employees of RMU Zenica, repurposing RU Kreka’s land, building the 12.2 MW Dubrave photovoltaic plant, repurposing the land of RMU Banovići and installing another solar power plant, of 15 MW, the CEO explained.

He pointed out that the authorities are preparing a law on the closure of Zenica mines — the first such legislation in BiH.

Green investments within a just transition platform for coal regions can include the construction of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and fast-growing biomass plantations, according to Buljubašić.

He announced that EPBiH would soon present its Prosumer 5000+ project and a long-term development plan for EPBiH for the period 2025-2050, within the energy sector development strategy.

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April 23, 2025
by in News

Energoinvest inaugurates transformers made in BiH

Bosnia and Herzegovina-based company Energoinvest has manufactured the first domestic transformers under its brand.

Energoinvest plans to develop its production capabilities in the energy sector, demonstrating a clear commitment to revitalizing its brand.

A significant milestone in the endeavor was signing a strategic partnership with Turkish company Ares Trafo Ekipmanlari. The event has also marked the start of the production of transformers up to 7 MVA under the Energoinvest brand.

It has never happened before in BiH, the company said.

The first contracts for the delivery of the equipment have already been already signed

Of note, Energoinvest and Ares Trafo Ekipmanlari began discussions in February on the production of transformers in BiH as well as on cooperation in other markets. The outcome was the strategic partnership agreement.

Now, just one month later, Energoinvest unveiled the first batch of transformers, which were symbolically painted in the colors of the national flag. The company said the first orders came from three new markets: the United Kingdom, Belgium and Serbia.

Currently, the company operates in over 20 countries.

The official presentation of the transformers took place in Tuzla at a conference called Energetski Zaokret, organized by the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry of the Federation of BiH, one of the two entities in BiH.

Photo: Energoinvest

It was attended by Vedran Lakić, Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry of the Federation of BiH, Nermin Nikšić, Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, and Energoinvest CEO Mirza Ustamujić.

Lakić: Transformers are among the most sought equipment in the global market

Ustamujić said the new management made substantial progress in financial stabilization and improvement of business operations.

“This is a symbol of patriotism, collaboration, and confidence in our domestic capabilities. When we believe in ourselves, there are no limits. This is the beginning of a new industrial era for Bosnia and Herzegovina and a wonderful gift for the 74th anniversary of Energoinvest,” he stated.

According to Minister Vedran Lakić, the showcased products offer hope that BiH would become one of the most important players in transformer production.

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