Romania’s Ministry of Energy confirmed in an official statement that the country could join Serbia as an equal partner in the project for a third hydropower plant on the Danube, but it denied that a joint team to coordinate the project was set up already and highlighted that the project should be approached with caution since it has an important impact on environment and navigability of the river Danube.

The statement comes after the Serb Ministry of Energy on May 20, after a meeting with the Romanian ambassador, announced that “the strategic project on the Danube is being developed in coordination with Romania and is one of the largest in the region,” according to Free Europe.

“Teams have been formed in Serbia and Romania for the construction of that hydroelectric power plant, as well as that general project and the previous feasibility study have been completed,” the press release issued in Belgrade reads.

The Romanian counterpart, however, stressed that the talks on the joint project are at a rather incipient stage.

“The project can be positive and Romania could be willing to join with an equal participation. On the other hand, however, the consequences on the environment and navigability must be carefully taken into account, and the Serbian side can only realise this project in close cooperation with Romania. We note that there is currently no joint Romanian-Serbian working group regarding the Iron Gates / Đerdap III project,” the statement issued by the Romanian Ministry of Energy reads.

Serbia’s minister of mining and energy, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, and the Romanian ambassador to Serbia, Silvija Davidoja, met in Belgrade on May 20 to discuss bilateral projects, including the new Danube hydropower project.

According to the website of Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS), Đerdap 3 is planned to be a reversible hydroelectric power plant at the 1007th kilometre of the Danube.

It is planned that all three power plants in the Đerdap system will have a total power of 2,400 megawatts.

The two existing hydroelectric power plants have a capacity of 1,605 megawatts. They account for 20% of the total annual electricity production in Serbia.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Wayne Stadler/Dreamstime.com)