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. The association argues that damming of the water by constructing HPP would lead to increased ecosystem pollution by sediment accumulation and therefore endanger local biodiversity. The project would also put under hazard the fortress of Maglic, a historical-cultural monument under national protection, and make it impossible to maintain sport activities, such as the Annual European Kayak Championship. However, not all of the people were against the project. The citizens of Ušće village have seen the opportunity for economic benefits from new potential jobs in the HPPs. However, the association was supported by the Kraljevo village mayor at that time as well by professionals of the communal drinking water company that warned about the possible project's hazard for the drinking water supply of the municipality of Kraljevo. In April 2010, the association delivered a petition signed by 1000 citizens of Kraljevo to the municipal authority asking for the project cancellation. However, in July same year the EPS and Seci Energy S.p.A. established the shared company 'Ibarske hidroeletrane' doo. In 2011, the association kept on lobbying against the project and delivered another petition, this time with 2500 signatures. In July 2011 the Seci Energy S.p.A., 'Ibarske hidroelektrane' doo and National Agency for Spatial Planning signed an agreement to create a common special strategy for the region regarding the 10 HPP on river Ibar (Spatial Plan) and develop a strategic environmental impact assessment (SEIA) of the project. In October same year, the Italian economy minister Paolo Romani and Serbian energy minister Milutin Mrkonjic signed a strategic partnership between the two countries in the renewable energy sector, that implies importing electricity produced from renewables in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and transported through the marine energy cable via Montenegro. This agreement was one of the steps of the Italian government strategies to reach the EU goals for 2020 of 17% energy consumption from renewable sources. The 10 HPP project includes a 10 years exclusive use right to the newly formed company 'Ibarske hidroelektrane' doo and allows export of 100% of produced electricity to Italy. The electric power from Serbia will have a price of 150 euros per kWh. The public debate on the Spatial Plan and presentation of the projects SEIA was conducted in March 2012 when the association pointed on negative effects of the project on the river Ibar. The citizens also claimed that according to the Kyoto protocol from 2014 Serbia would have to pay for the contamination originated in production of “green energy” for Italy. Despite this, the Spatial Plan was adopted. In 2012 the HPP project on river Ibar was marked by the Serbian government as a national project of strategic importance. In December 2013, 'Ibarske hidroelektrane' doo requested for approval of the project's environmental impact assessment study in a public debate in City Hall of Kraljevo. Up to now there is no information on how and if the open debate was held, if the EIA was approved, nor if any construction or energy permits issued. Besides, it is not known how the project will be funded. |
Name of conflict: | Ten hydropower plants on the River Ibar, Serbia |
Country: | Serbia |
Location of conflict: | Kraljevo |
Accuracy of location | MEDIUM (Regional level) |
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 | 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. The accumulation lakes would be 2 to 4 km long and 50 to 150 m wide. The project would cause flooding of 60 houses, submersion of 6 km of Ibarska magistrala-The Ibar highway, while protected cultural monument, the fortress Maglic, and the monument of Ibar’s heroes, and the protected tree species Pinus nigra would be endangered due to their proximity to dams. In the first 10 years all produced electricity would be exported to Italy with price of 150 euros per kWh. The point on the map locates in the municipality of Kraljevo. Here is the list of coordinates for each of the 10 plants: HE1 Bojanici: 43.434909, 20.654454 HE 2 Gokcanica: 43.460645, 20.668187 HE 3 Usce: 43.463635, 20.632138 HE 4 Glavica: 43.490292, 20.614200 HE 5 Cerje: 43.513016, 20.614028 HE 6 Gradina: 43.541751, 20.613996 HE 7 Bela glava: 43.560989, 20.615487 HE 8 Dobre strane: 43.584836, 20.580277 HE 9 Maglic: 43.616256, 20.553313 HE 10 Lakat: 43.660141, 20.588458 |
Project area: | 44,600 |
Level of Investment for the conflictive project | 385,000,000 |
Type of population | Semi-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/ |
Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
Reaction stage | PREVENTIVE 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 |
Environmental Impacts | Potential: 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 Impacts | Potential: Infectious diseases, Mental problems including stress, depression and suicide |
Socio-economical Impacts | Potential: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Displacement, Loss of livelihood, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place |
Project Status | Stopped |
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. |
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Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
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Contributor: | Jovanka Spiric, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, vankajo(at)gmail.com |
Last update | 18/08/2019 |
Conflict ID: | 1133 |
Images |
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Fortess Maglic on Ibar river
One of the HPP will be built near fortess Maglic historicaliy important site
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10 HPPs on The River Ibar
The image shows planned locations for 10 run-of-river HPPs on The River Ibar
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Veseli spust (Happy Raft) on the River Ibar
The River Ibar is fast river, which provides the potential for water sport and tourism activities such as Veseli spust (Happy Raft) and The Annual Kayak Championship
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