An implementation agreement is in place between Serbia’s Ministry of Mining and Energy, utility company Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and a consortium of Hyundai Engineering and UGT Renewables for six new solar plants totalling 1 GW. Up to 200 MW of battery storage will be developed across the sites.
Plans for 1 GW of new solar in Serbia are set to go ahead after the signing of an implementation agreement.
The signing of the contract, by Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović, alongside representatives of state-owned power utility company Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and a consortium of Hyundai Engineering and UGT Renewables, took place earlier this week.
The agreement commits six new solar plants to be built across Serbia. The Serbian government approved the proposed sites in September. The largest in the deal is a 460 MW facility in the territory of Negotin and Zaječar, followed by a 302 MW plant in Bošnjace.
All six plants will be connected to a single transmission network and are expected to produce a combined 1,600 GWh annually. The implementation agreement also commits to the installation of 200 MW/400 MWh of battery energy storage systems collocated at the solar plant sites. The facilities are expected to be delivered by mid 2028.
The Hyundai Engineering – UGT Renewables consortium was selected as a strategic partner last July. They will operate the facilities over a two year period, after which they will be solely owned and operated by EPS.
A statement published on the Serbian government’s website says solar is the most optimal solution to quickly reach large capacities from green sources, without burdening and endangering the stability of the transmission network. Serbia currently gets more than 60% of its electricity from fossil fuels.
The contract is the latest in a line of solar projects backed by Serbia’s Ministry of Mining and Energy this year, which includes plans for a 1 GW solar panel factory and another 500 MW of solar.
Figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency state Serbia had deployed a total 137 MW of solar by the end of last year.