Ambition, dedication and commitment to Serbia’s green energy transition

1.Can you tell us something about the partnership of WV International with Emergy in Serbia?

WV International is a Dutch investor active in the field of renewable energy sources that has been operating in Europe and Africa for 20 years. In addition to Serbia, we have projects in the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia. Since 2020, we have been joined by Emergy, an investor in large scale wind farms based in Oslo, in the realization of a portfolio in Serbia consisting of 800MW projects of construction of wind farms and a project of construction of solar power plant with an installed capacity of 80MW. Emergy has significant expertise in project implementation in emerging market countries such as Ukraine and China. Partnership with such an experienced investor will certainly help us in the most efficient realization of common goals. But what I would especially like to welcome is the great cooperation and support of the Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade, H.E. Jern Eugen Jelstad and the entire team as well as cooperation with the Nordic Business Alliance, all in line with Norway's experience in the field of green energy.

2. In 2012, you started working on wind farm projects in Serbia. What has been done during these 10 years and what are your plans?

Projects from our portfolio are in various stages of development. The projects of construction of the Alibunar Wind Farm complex, which we started in 2012, are completed projects with final construction permits, including permits for ancillary facilities (such as access roads, transformer stations, transmission lines, etc.) and secured network connection. This complex will have a future installed capacity of 168 MW and as it is in the so-called status "ready to build", we look forward to the finalization of bylaws necessary for the implementation of investments from renewable energy sources under transparent competitive and feasible market conditions, such as the announced system of market premiums through the auction process.

On the other hand, the projects of construction of the Banat Wind Farm complex with a total installed capacity of 690 MW are in various development stages, from urban planning to detailed project-technical documentation, as well as resolving property-legal relations and environmental impact studies, and will also be adjusted to market conditions. Also, in 2021, we started expanding our portfolio in terms of technology - solar power plant with an installed capacity of 80MW in Žabalj.

3. You are developing several projects in Serbia at the same time. Is it the company's strategy to do projects at the same time, and not one by one?

Yes. The company's strategy recognized Serbia as an adequate business environment for its business activities, both because of the good wind and because of the great local team that I am personally very proud of. So we decided to use this combination in the best possible way, and that is to expand the portfolio and increase the share of green energy in the energy mix.

We are mostly focused on large-scale investments, but the realization of projects will certainly not go at the same time and it also depends on some external factors. For example, the sequence of construction will certainly depend on the realization and frequency of auctions, as well as the development of the market and the formation of electricity prices in Serbia and other trends in energy in general.

4. What are the company's plans for the next period?

I think that we have set ourselves a very ambitious plan for the next 5 years, so we will be busy with the realization, construction and commissioning of wind farms Alibunar 1 and 2 and Banat 1-6, as well as the development of solar power plant which will contribute to energy transition of Serbia as one of the national goals in the coming period.

The plan is to connect all 800 MW of wind power plants to the network by 2026, and the first 168 MW can be realized as early as 2023. And when that goal is successfully realized, we will be pleased to apply our knowledge and experience to some new projects.

5. Do wind farms contribute to the economic development of the region and do they bring new jobs?

WV International and Emergy will develop and build wind farms in accordance with international standards in accordance with the requirements of international financial institutions (IFI) and equator principles. Wind farms will bring significant economic development and tax revenue to the local region, provide up to two thousand jobs during construction and have a lasting economic impact even after construction is completed. Also, these projects will significantly increase the share of renewable energy sources in total electricity consumption in Serbia, which is one of the most important goals of the energy sector.

Personally, I am very excited about the realization of these projects, because I have been working on them from the very beginning and I am looking forward to their contribution to the implementation of the Green Agenda and the creation of a better environment for our children.