RMU Banovići in Bosnia and Herzegovina is preparing a 15 MW solar power plant on land previously used for mining waste. The project represents the coal producer’s first substantial move into renewable electricity generation. The planned facility is positioned as an internal supply option rather than a standalone merchant power plant.
The investment is estimated at around €17.4 million. It is designed primarily to reduce the company’s own electricity costs, with the solar output expected to cover roughly half of RMU Banovići’s electricity demand. This would lower exposure to electricity purchases from the market while adding renewable generation to the company’s energy mix.
Financing and regional adjustment support
The solar development is expected to be part of a wider €40 million programme supported by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The programme is aimed at assisting coal-dependent areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina as they adjust to changes in the energy sector. The project is therefore linked to broader efforts focused on transition in coal-reliant regions.
Reuse of mining-affected land
The site selection provides an additional rehabilitation dimension by using an area already affected by years of mining operations. Rather than requiring undeveloped land, the solar plant would reuse land connected to prior mining waste disposal. The approach supports repurposing industrial land for power generation while creating a new productive use for a former waste disposal site.
Second energy line alongside brown-coal production
RMU Banovići is not abandoning brown-coal production as it develops the solar project. The new facility introduces a second energy business line for the company. It also provides a degree of protection against future electricity-price volatility.
Across Southeast Europe, similar self-consumption solar projects may become more relevant for coal-based companies. Existing industrial land, grid infrastructure, and large internal power demand can make on-site solar generation easier to justify than entirely new standalone developments.
