The Serbian government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China’s Shanghai Fengling Renewables Co. Ltd. and Serbia Zijin Copper doo Bor to invest US$2.18 billion in renewable energy sources (RES) in Serbia. The MoU calls for the construction of a 1500-MW wind farm, a 500-MW solar plant, and a hydrogen plant with an annual capacity of 30,000 metric tons by 2028. Shanghai Fengling Renewable as the principal investor. The energy produced will be used in the Zijin-owned copper mine and smelter near the town of Bor in eastern Serbia.
“This project will enable Zijin to produce a significant part of its electricity needs in a sustainable way,” Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, Serbia’s mining and energy minister. “This investment will help us achieve energy security and independence goals and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.”
According to Djedovic Handanovic, the start of construction is planned for Q1 2025, and the first phase of 700 MW should be completed by the middle of 2026. The entire project should be completed by 2026.
“With this project, Serbia becomes one of the European centers in the field of production and equipment for RES projects, as well as green hydrogen, and equipment for projects in the field of RES,” said Djedovic Handanovic. “Also, it will contribute to the achievement of our goals in the field of energy security and independence, but also to the achievement of the ambition to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.”