In the area of Komanje Brdo near Stolac, construction has begun on the largest solar power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The project, worth around 100 million euros, is expected to be completed in 12 months, and local authorities estimate that the city will generate revenue between three and four million BAM through concessions and utility fees, depending on the amount of electricity produced.
Production of 200 million kilowatt-hours annually
The power plant is expected to produce 200 million kilowatt-hours annually, over a period of 30 years, and to contribute to the energy transition and development of renewable energy sources in BiH.
The company Aurora Solar d.o.o., registered in BiH, is listed as the project investor, while the contractor is the Chinese company NORINCO International. Behind the seemingly local solar power plant project are deeper roots of capital. According to official data from the BiH business register, the project investor is co-owned by the domestic company Tehnomerkur and the Hungarian company Green Power Investment. But what makes this story particularly interesting is its third, much stronger actor: China.
That it will take over the majority stake in Aurora Solar, Norinco International – formally part of China North Industries Corporation, a Chinese state-owned company also known for its work in the defense and engineering sectors – announced earlier.
How much China invests in BiH
And this is not the first entry of a Chinese company into the energy sector of Southeast Europe. The company is already involved in a series of major infrastructure projects in the region, including the construction of the largest wind power plant in Croatia.
Chinese investments in BiH are present in various sectors. According to data from the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA), by 2023 Chinese loans and investments in BiH exceeded three billion dollars.
From 2010 to 2022, BiH took more than 2.44 billion dollars in loans from China for the construction of highways, hydroelectric power plants, investments in gasification and coal production,FIPA stated.
