The 48W project represents one of the first wind farms to be commissioned in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Reports indicate that Spanish engineering firm Siemens Gamesa has inked a €69 million contract for supplying 15 turbines to the 48MW Podvelezje wind farm of Bosnian utility company Elektroprivreda BiH, near the south-western city of Mostar.

Further from the reports, Siemens Gamesa would deliver, install, test and commission the units under the agreement, which is said to be the first wind turbine project in the nation. However, the model of the turbine being supplied is yet to be disclosed. The deadline for completing this project is of 21.5 months.

Apparently, the construction of this project is anticipated to take less than two years, and a five-year service agreement is also a part of this contract. The initial enabling works, which include sites roads on the Podvelezje plateau, have been finished. Besides cash from Elektroprivreda BiH, the German development bank KfW has also provided finance for the construction.

Charge d affaires of the German embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Sedat, said in a statement that Podveležje is not only among the first wind farms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it is also the first for Elektroprivreda BiH.

The company stated that the construction of this wind farm would remarkably increase electricity production from renewable energy sources at EPBiH. The facility is estimated to produce around 130 GWh per year.

For helping Elektroprivreda to continue with this project, The KfW, a German state-owned development bank, has allegedly lent €65 million to the utility, while EPBiH is financing the remaining cost. 60 percent of the electricity in Bosnia is produced from coal-fired power plants and the remaining from hydro-power. The nation further plans on increasing its share of renewable energy to 43 percent by 2020.

A number of developers are purportedly looking to deploy about 500 MW in wind capacity facility in Bosnia over the upcoming years, however only one wind farm has been put into operations till date.