Chinese firms win state backing for 1.5GW wind portfolio in Serbia
Chinese firms win state backing for 1.5GW wind portfolio in Serbia | Windpower Monthly
Chinese companies are targeting development of a 2GW renewables portfolio in Serbia, consisting of 1.5GW of wind farms, a 500MW solar plant, and green hydrogen production.
The Serbian ministry of mining and energy signed a memorandum of understanding for the planned buildout with Chinese firms Serbia Zijin Copper and Shanghai Fengling.
Construction is due to start in the first quarter of 2025 ahead of all of the capacity being online by the end of 2028, according to the Serbian government.
The plan would swell Serbia’s renewables fleet, after the eastern European country held its first renewable energy auctions last year.
Serbia currently has 383MW of operational wind power capacity, according to Windpower Intelligence, the research and data division of Windpower Monthly.
Despite concerns elsewhere in Europe about Chinese turbine makers squeezing out domestic players, a number of Chinese companies have won notable orders in Serbia in recent years.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: hydropower
Hydropower — electricity generated by turbines capturing energy from moving water — was for many years the primary contributor of renewable energy to the U.S. electricity grid. Its growth was rapid into the 1970s, and since then has offered a stable supply of power, while a declining share of all generation. For many years, hydropower was seen as clean energy and an unalloyed good, but a greater understanding of the impact of dams on ecosystems and wildlife has led to the removal of some dams. As of 2019, hydropower trails wind as a renewable source of power generation.