In a significant advancement for its electricity transmission infrastructure, Serbia’s transmission system operator, EMS, has finalized a contract aimed at enhancing high-voltage capacity. This initiative is part of the broader Trans-Balkan Corridor project, which seeks to bolster regional electricity exchange capabilities across Southeast Europe.
The contract, awarded to a consortium led by Energotehnika Južna Bačka and Elnos, encompasses the upgrade of the Bajina Bašta substation into a 400/220/35 kV facility. Additionally, it includes the installation of new 400 kV equipment at the Obrenovac substation. This phase of the project also involves constructing a double-circuit 400 kV transmission line connecting Bajina Bašta and Obrenovac. The total investment for this segment amounts to €113.5 million, with a completion target set for the end of 2028.
Funding for the project is structured through various channels: a €64.5 million loan from KfW, supplemented by a €21 million grant from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), with EMS contributing the remaining funds. The upgrades are anticipated to significantly enhance transmission capacity and facilitate the integration of new generation assets, notably the planned pumped-storage hydropower plant Bistrica, which will be crucial for system balancing.
According to EMS management, modernizing substations and expanding high-voltage infrastructure will not only improve system reliability but also increase cross-border transfer capacity. Construction on the transmission line is already underway, marking an important phase in the project’s implementation.
The overall Trans-Balkan Corridor initiative is valued at approximately €221 million and has been developed in stages. Previous sections include the completion of the Pančevo–Romanian border interconnection in 2017 and the Kragujevac–Kraljevo segment in 2022. The next phase aims to extend the corridor westward with a new 400 kV line towards Višegrad in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Pljevlja in Montenegro, further enhancing regional electricity interconnections.
