Three hydropower plants on the Bistrica river near Foča are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, according to Petar Đokić, Minister of Energy and Mining of the Republic of Srpska, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Chinese company AVIC is responsible for the construction of the plants, which will have a combined installed capacity of 39 MW. Once completed, the facilities will be operated by state-owned utility Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS), public broadcaster RTRS reported.
Minister Đokić, who is also scheduled to speak at the Belgrade Energy Forum 2025 (BEF 2025), emphasized that construction is progressing intensively. The Hidroelektrane Bistrica system will comprise three cascading plants built along the Bistrica river canyon, near the Foča-Sarajevo road. Construction officially began in December 2021, and the system is expected to generate 152 GWh of electricity annually. The project’s total value is estimated at EUR 102.8 million.
In 2023, the Government of the Republic of Srpska signed a financing agreement with AVIC for the construction of the three hydropower plants. During a recent site visit, Đokić mentioned that although some modifications may occur during implementation, the project will significantly strengthen the energy system of the Republic of Srpska.
Site manager Feng Xiong from AVIC noted that the project involves 9,800 meters of tunnels, with only 600 meters remaining to be completed. He expressed confidence that the project would stay on schedule.
Dejan Pavlović, CEO of Hidroelektrane Bistrica, confirmed that 9.2 kilometers of tunnels have already been completed, although high water levels in the Bistrica River have occasionally slowed down progress. The investment in the hydropower system is led by Hidroelektrane Bistrica and Hidroelektrane na Drini, with financial support secured by ERS.