Last update:
2016-07-11

Ten hydropower plants on the River Ibar, Serbia

Well-organised local activists from Kraljevo managed to prevent the project of building ten small HPP on the river Ibar.



Description:

In March 2009, the Serbian electricity company JP Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and Italian company Seci Energy S.p.A. signed a cooperation agreement for a construction of 10 hydroelectric power plants (HPP) on the River Ibar in Serbia including territories of the two municipalities Kraljevo and Raska. As soon as the first news of the HPP project appeared, the local non-governmental organizations, recreational users (kayak club, hiking club) and fishermen established an association “Kraljevacki ekoloski forum” to oppose the project implementation.

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Basic Data
Name of conflict:Ten hydropower plants on the River Ibar, Serbia
Country:Serbia
Location of conflict:Kraljevo
Accuracy of locationMEDIUM (Regional level)
Source of Conflict
Type of conflict. 1st level:Water Management
Type of conflict. 2nd level:Water access rights and entitlements
Dams and water distribution conflicts
Specific commodities:Electricity
Land
Water
Project Details and Actors
Project details

Construction of 10 run-of-river HPP in the length of 65km of the River Ibar. The dams would be 12-15 m high, with installed discharge of Qinst = 100 m3/s, average annual output of E = 418.5 GWh/year (generally varying between 300 and 500 GWh), and total installed power of Ninst = 103.15 MW, which represents 1% of current total capacity of Republic of Serbia.

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Project area:44,600
Level of Investment for the conflictive project385,000,000
Type of populationSemi-urban
Affected Population:7,500-8,000
Start of the conflict:2009
Company names or state enterprises:Seci Energy S.p.A. from Italy - The Italian company from the Maccaferri group. Main investor, with 51% of annuity in Ibarske hidroelektrane doo
JP Elektroprivreda Srbije EPS (EPS) from Serbia - The Electric Power Industry of Serbia, the biggest electricity company in Serbia. Main investor, with 49% of annuity in Ibarske hidroelektrane doo
Ibarske hidroelektrane doo from Serbia - A joint venture, 51% of annuity belong to Seci Energia and 49% to EPS
Hidrocentrale d.o.o. Krusevac from Serbia - In charge of the project
Institute "Jaroslav Černi", Belgrade from Serbia - Institute for the development of water resources. Author of EIA
Relevant government actors:Ministry of Mining and Energy of Republic of Serbia; Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Republic of Serbia; Agency for Spatial Planning of the Republic of Serbia; Municipality of city Kraljevo; The Italian Ministry of Economic Development
Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available:NGO’s Association “Kraljevacki ekoloski forum”; Ekopokret “Ibar”; “braNE na Ibru”: http://www.branenaibru.net76.net/; Kayak club Ibar; Vojvodjanska zelena inicijativa: http://www.vojvodjanskazelenainicijativa.org.rs/
Conflict & Mobilization
IntensityMEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization)
Reaction stagePREVENTIVE resistance (precautionary phase)
Groups mobilizing:Local ejos
Local government/political parties
Neighbours/citizens/communities
Recreational users
Local scientists/professionals
Fisher people
Forms of mobilization:Creation of alternative reports/knowledge
Development of a network/collective action
Development of alternative proposals
Involvement of national and international NGOs
Media based activism/alternative media
Objections to the EIA
Official complaint letters and petitions
Public campaigns
Arguments for the rights of mother nature
Impacts
Environmental ImpactsPotential: Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Floods (river, coastal, mudflow), Food insecurity (crop damage), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Soil contamination, Soil erosion, Air pollution
Health ImpactsPotential: Infectious diseases, Mental problems including stress, depression and suicide
Socio-economical ImpactsPotential: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Displacement, Loss of livelihood, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place
Outcome
Project StatusStopped
Conflict outcome / response:Application of existing regulations
Project cancelled
Project temporarily suspended
Proposal and development of alternatives:The association demanded cancellation of the project and have suggested investigating the possibilities to produce electricity from wind energy in the region instead of investing in the dams on the River Ibar. A group of citizens of Kraljevo called on their rights to referendum in which they would decide on the project.
Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?:Yes
Briefly explain:The project leaders pointed out touristic capacity of the accumulation, opening of new jobs in the HPPs construction and operation, economic benefit to all citizens of Serbia, assuring that the project will not have negative impact on environment, particularly on the quality of drinking water. Most importantly, the project was marked as strategically important on national level and it is part of the strategic partnership in energy sector between Serbia and Italy. However, the contract signed by Seci and EPS have been riddled with many irregularities. It seems that the activists have managed to stop the project as there is no information on its development since December 2013.
Sources & Materials

Prostorni plan za reku Ibar
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Uredba o prostornom planu za reku Ibar
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Balkan Insight 27.10.2011. Serbia and Italy sign energy deal
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Prostorni plan podrucja posebne namene
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Blog (serbian)
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Blic 28.04.2010. Tuzbama protiv centrala na Ibru
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Press 07.05.2010. Kraljevo se bori da sacuva Ibar
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Politika 04.07.2010. EPS I Seci Energia osnovali preduzece
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B92 04.07.2010. EPS gradi HE uprkos protestima
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Politika 16.10.2010. Hidroelektrane na Ibru
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Institut Jaroslav Cerni- Hydroelectric power plants on river Ibar
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BLIC 11.02.2011. U planu jos 10 HE na Ibru
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Blic 16.07.2011. Potpisan ugovor o izradi prostornog plana posebne namene
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Press 09.03.2012. Predstavljanje planskih dokumenata o HE na Ibru
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Kraljevacke vesti 09.03.2012. Zustra rasprava o branama na Ibru
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Pitanja vezana za ibarske HE
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Lista projekata od znacaja za energetiku i zastitu zivotne sredine
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AdriaticIPA Italy-Serbia, Agreement for Ibar river power stations
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PROJEKAT MALIH HIDROCENTRALA NA IBRU
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Ministero Ambiente Italia
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Blic 26.03.2011. Peticijom protiv elektrana na Ibru
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Energetska pljačka:Pare plove od Ibra sve do Tibra (VIDEO)
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Niču hidroelektrane u zaštićenim zonama u JIE
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RTS 10.04.2012. Nove hidroelektrane na Ibru
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ZАHTЕV ZА DАVАNJЕ SАGLАSNОSTI NА STUDIЈU О PRОCЕNI UTICАЈА NА ŽIVОTNU SRЕDINU PRОЈЕKTА IZGRАDNJЕ 10 HIDRОЕLЕKTRАNА NА IBRU, U SKLАDU SА PRОSTОRNIM PLАNОM PОDRUČЈА PОSЕBNЕ NАMЕNЕ SISTЕMА HЕ NА IBRU („SL. GLАSNIK RS“ 58/12) (BR 353-02-02475/2013-05)
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OBAVЕŠTЕNJЕ DA JЕ NOSILAC PROJЕKTA PD „IBARSKE ELEKTRANE“ D.O.O. KRALJЕVO, ZAHTЕV ZA DAVANJЕ SAGLASNOSTI NA STUDIJU O PROCЕNI UTICAJA NA ŽIVOTNU SRЕDINU ZA PROJЕKAT IZGRADNJЕ 10 HIDROЕLЕKTRANA NA IBRU
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Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network

Kraljevčani neće hidroelektrane na Ibru! NVO "Eko Ibar"
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FOX Television news (Serbian)
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Documentary movie by Vojvodjanska zelena inicijativa (Serbian)
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Zelena patrola na delu - S02E12 - Kraljevo - Reka Ibar
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Meta information
Contributor:Jovanka Spiric, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, vankajo(at)gmail.com
Last update18/08/2019
Conflict ID:1133
Comments
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