Frequent interruptions in electricity supply during the winter months have once again raised the question of how resilient the electricity distribution system in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) truly is and whether there is a real danger of a more serious power system collapse.
Almost every winter, thousands of households are left without electricity, while snow, ice, and strong winds regularly expose the weaknesses of the existing grid.
Elektroprivreda BiH states that the distribution system is stable and that capacities are satisfactory, but acknowledges that outages are largely caused by external factors that are difficult or almost impossible to influence. Inaccessible terrain, forested and mountainous areas, as well as extreme weather conditions, further complicate maintenance and rapid field intervention.
Experts, however, warn that the problem cannot be attributed exclusively to nature. A large part of the distribution network runs through areas where maintenance has been reduced to a minimum for years, which is why any stronger weather disturbance very quickly turns into a serious failure that leaves tens of thousands of citizens without electricity. One of the long-term solutions mentioned is relocating parts of the network underground, which would significantly reduce exposure to weather conditions.
Modernisation of the network, expansion of new routes, and replacement of overhead power lines with underground cables are often highlighted as desirable development directions, but such projects require substantial financial investments. Elektroprivreda BiH notes that inspections and investments are carried out regularly, especially in the medium-voltage network, but experts remind that in previous years, actions were mostly reactive, only after a failure occurred, instead of systematically investing in prevention.
According to experts, regular clearing of power-line corridors, replacement of the oldest and most critical parts of the network, and a gradual transition to cable lines where technically feasible could prevent more serious collapses in the future. However, greater investments would inevitably mean an increase in network fees, which opens another question: whether the funds collected on that basis are truly fully reinvested in improving the system.
Elektroprivreda BiH claims that over the past year, the entire amount collected through network fees was planned for investment projects. On the other hand, in Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (RS) and Elektroprivreda HZ HB, the network fee is still not shown as a separate item on electricity bills, which further complicates transparency.
The resilience of BiH’s electricity distribution system would be further strengthened by the implementation of major interconnection projects with Croatia, such as the Livno-Konjsko and Banja Luka-Zagreb links. However, for now, it appears that there is a lack of political will for such capital projects, leaving citizens each winter to wait with uncertainty as to whether snow and ice will once again turn off the lights in their homes.
