Serbia, FBiH and RS press ahead on Drina hydropower coordination and regional gas links

Energy officials from Serbia, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and the Republic of Srpska (RS) have moved to intensify cross-border coordination on hydropower development along the Drina River, while also exploring broader regional connectivity for natural gas. The discussions matter for investors because they link project preparation, governance arrangements and grid-market integration—key prerequisites for turning early-stage work into bankable infrastructure.

Hydropower: focus on documentation review and a joint working body

At a meeting attended by Serbia’s Mining and Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović, FBiH Energy, Mining and Industry Minister Vedran Lakić, and RS Energy and Mining Minister Petar Đokić, the parties discussed next steps for hydropower projects on the middle section of the Drina River as well as potential regional gas interconnections.

The group agreed that an early priority should be a review of existing technical documentation for planned hydropower facilities. Following that review, they plan to establish a joint working body. The officials also confirmed plans to prepare a formal memorandum of cooperation tied to the project.

Upper Drina scheme: €15 million already invested in preparation

Serbia reiterated its willingness to continue activities related to the Upper Drina hydropower scheme once necessary conditions within Bosnia and Herzegovina are met. According to Minister Đedović, about €15 million has already been invested in preparatory works, with state utility EPS continuing to finance the joint venture involved in the project.

Đedović said the Drina is a shared regional resource and emphasized integrating the wider Western Balkans electricity market with the European Union. She also pointed to an increasing need for diversified gas supply routes across the region.

Gas connectivity: new links with Romania and North Macedonia; options with Bosnia

Alongside hydropower talks, Serbian representatives presented plans for new gas interconnections with Romania and North Macedonia. The participants also reviewed options to strengthen gas links between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as a way to improve energy security across borders.

FBiH priorities: implementation models for middle Drina; Southern Gas Interconnection

Minister Lakić highlighted accelerating discussions on possible implementation models for hydropower plants on the middle Drina. He added that expanding gas infrastructure remains a strategic priority for FBiH, citing ongoing plans connected to the Southern Gas Interconnection project as well as future gas-fired power plants.

Environmental studies completed; three middle-Drina plants cited

Minister Đokić said environmental impact studies for the Upper Drina project have already been completed. He argued that failing to use the region’s hydropower potential more efficiently represents a missed opportunity. He further noted that construction of three hydropower plants on the middle Drina could provide significant long-term energy benefits for all parties involved.

Taken together, the ministers’ commitments point toward a coordinated push from technical groundwork—such as documentation review, environmental readiness and joint governance—toward larger infrastructure outcomes spanning both electricity generation along the Drina and improved gas connectivity in South East Europe.