The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting critical upgrades required for sustainable and efficient operation of the electricity transmission grid in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Up to €8.5 million is being provided to the Independent System Operator of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ISO BiH), a state-owned company responsible for the operation of the electricity transmission system in the country. The financing will be used to replace and upgrade the outdated energy management system (EMS) and the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, introduce new IT systems and construct necessary infrastructure in line with the requirements of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).

Implementation of these investments will support the creation of a competitive balancing and ancillary services market and will help to reduce both technical losses in the system and the carbon intensity of the BiH energy sector.

"This is an important project which will significantly improve the reliability of the country’s power system and reduce power losses and carbon emissions. It will help Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to meeting EU standards in the power sector,” said Ian Brown, Head of the EBRD office in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"We are very appreciative of the EBRD’s commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s power sector. This is an important transaction for ISO BiH. It will lead to the modernisation of our systems and ensure that ISO is fully equipped to deal with the increased responsibility it will inherit as BiH implements the EU’s third energy package,” said Josip Dolic, General Manager of ISO. 

Since the start of its operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EBRD has invested more than €1.8 billion in more than 127 projects in the country. In BiH, the Bank invests in infrastructure development, support for small and medium-sized enterprises and the strengthening of the financial sector.

Source: EBRD