According to Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), electricity exports exceeded 500 million euros in 2022.
Thanks to the increase in electricity prices due to the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, electricity exports from BiH reached a record high of 550 million euros, which is by 162 million euros more compared to the previous year.
Although the export result is the best so far, it was not a good year for electrical companies. Electricity production was in decline for most of the year under the influence of bad hydrological conditions caused by a long-term drought, and longer-than-expected overhauls of certain thermal power plants. A positive development was the decision of the Government of FBiH to continue the operation of units 4 and 5 of coal-fired thermal power plant Kakanj.
Due to such circumstances, but also the prices of electricity on the market, the import of electricity was also at all-time high. BiH spent 201 million euros on electricity imports last year, which is 79 % more than in 2021. In particular, EP HZHB, which produces most of its electricity from hydropower plants, was forced to import significant amounts of electricity due to drought.
In 2021, the surplus of electricity in BiH amounted to about 4,900 GWh, out of a total of about 17,000 GWh that were produced.