Electric power of Serbia (EPS) is planning to stop to import of electricity by 2015 due to increasing investments in production and efficiency, said EPS CEO Dragomir Markovic

On press conference he said that from 2011 until 2020 increasing of electricity consumption in Serbia for 14 percent is expected, but EPS will secure safe and quality supply of consumers through investments. EPS , from 2008 until 2011, invested proximately more then 500 million euro’s per year and plans building of several production capacity, said Markovic

He reminded that EPS plans to build Power Plant Kolubara-B with Italian partners. The value of that investment exceeds one billion euro’s, he added. “Financial Consultant is chosen and now negotiations are in progress with bank for credit on establishing a joint company EPS and Edison”, said Markovic.

According to Markovic, in cooperation with German company RWE, EPS will build five Hydro Power Plants on river Velika Morava, worth 360 million euro’s and ten Hydro Power Plants on river Ibar with Italian company Seci, worth 290 million euro’s.

Markovic said preparation of investments with Chinese companies are in progress, 1.6 billion euro’s, for building of Unit B3 in Power Plant Nikola Tesla B and 600 million euro’s in opening coal mine Radljevo. Realizations of this two projects is expected until 2013.

According to EPS data, there is a preparation for investments with foreign partners in reversible Hydro Power Plant Bistrica, worth 553 million euro’s, which should begin 2014, while this year should start building of three Hydro Power Plants on middle stream of river Drina, worth 410 million euro’s.

There are current preparations for investments with foreign partners in four Hydro Power Plants in the river Drina upper stream, with investments of 217 million euro’s and cogeneration Power Plant Novi Sad, worth 320 million euro’s, said in EPS and added that the project should start in 2012.

According to EPS, in next year should begin realization of project reversible Hydro Power Plant on river Danube Djerdap 3, whose first phase is worth 400 million euro’s.