By the end of the first quarter, I expect the realization of the Gvozd Wind Farm to begin, while the project for the construction of the Komarnica Hydropower Plant will not proceed without approval of the environmental impact assessment, said Minister of Energy and Mining Saša Mujović in an interview.
- The environmental impact assessment of the Komarnica Hydropower Plant is currently underway based on the concession agreement for the use of natural resources for the construction, maintenance, and operation of the Komarnica hydropower plant for the production of electricity, which the previous government concluded with Elektroprivreda (EPCG). The further steps in this project will depend on the assessment of that report. Without approval of the report, the project will not be realized – said Mujović in response to a question about energy facility construction projects.
He emphasized that with the Krusevo Hydropower Plant, which is energetically more potent than the Komarnica Hydropower Plant, there are also challenges from an environmental protection perspective.
- All steps must be aligned with all aspects of the project, including energy and spatial protection. There are also hydropower plants on the Cehotina, and I plan to raise the issue of the Bileća Lake. So, the plans are ambitious. The construction of any energy project, although the public perceives it as the beginning of implementation, is actually its finish. Before that, it is necessary to conduct all necessary studies, planning documents, expropriation, permits, financing sources, etc. We know that energy projects are very expensive, especially when we talk about capital, development projects, and it is not easy to close the financial structure. In addition, we have the issue of sustainable development and our obligations in that regard on the European path. Also, we want broad consensus on these projects because we are aware that even around small hydropower plants, the public has often expressed disagreements – said Mujović.