A total of 5 or more large scale solar power plants representing a combined capacity of 1.2 GW DC/1.0 GW AC along with a minimum of 200 MW/400 MWh battery energy storage capacity are planned to come up in Serbia for which the government is to seek a strategic partner.
According to local media reports, the government wants the project to be developed, built and handed over to state utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) on turnkey basis after 2 years of operating it.
Preparation of technical documentation for the project and building requisite infrastructure will also be the responsibility of the strategic partner who will be expected to zero in on suitable locations.
Serbia wants this capacity to come online within 4 years to 5 years, while the partner will be contracted for 6 years to 7 years.
To realize this project, the government has formed a working group headed by the country's Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović whose main job is to work on a tender process.
Currently, Serbia's largest operational solar power plant, online in April 2023, has 9.9 MW installed capacity with capacity to generate 15,000 MWh annually. Earlier this year, the government adopted a Bill on Amendments to the Law on the use of Renewable Energy Sources to work on a regulatory framework for renewable energy auctions (see Serbia Promoting Renewables With Laws & Financing).
There is growing interest in renewable energy in the country as the Energy Ministry recently said in the last 2 years, requests for grid connection from new solar and wind power plants has increased from 4.8 GW to 20 GW which is 2.5 times more than the total capacity of all power plants in the country. Amendments to the law adopted will resolve this issue, it added.