The Coalition for the Protection of the Rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina opposes the construction of the Janjići hydropower plant near Zenica, for which the Public Enterprise Elektroprivreda BiH has announced a tender for design and construction, said today at a press conference professor Samir Lemeš, Ph.D., at the Zenica Eco-forum.
Lemeš underlined that, as a coalition that gathers 30 environmental associations, they demand that EP BiH stops the activities on the realization of that project and “redirect the planned funds to the construction of new solar and wind power plants, which are much cheaper and less harmful to the environment”.
“We believe that this project is neither economically nor ecologically acceptable and is not justified,” said Lemeš.
The Zenica City Council, he noted, did not accept the initiative to cancel the “decision on the declaration of general interest” for the construction of this hydropower plant, so they sent a request to them to conduct research and not to spend money invested from “friendly sources”.
Janjići HPP, he adds, will contribute slightly to the production of electricity, while Bosnia and Herzegovina “currently exports more than 40 percent of the total electricity produced”.
“Janjići HPP means nothing to us, but it means a lot to nature. KfW is clearly a socially responsible bank. They take good care that the projects they finance are environmentally acceptable,” Lemeš pointed out.
This hydropower plant, he underlines, would change the climatic conditions in the already polluted city.
