Zijin Mining And Other Into The Bureau! It Is Proposed To Build 1.5GW Wind Project To Produce Hydrogen

Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Dedovic Handanovic said in a statement on Nov. 10 that the Serbian government plans to develop a hybrid renewable solar and wind power plant with a capacity of at least 1.5GW in cooperation with Chinese companies Shanghai Fengling New Energy Co LTD and Zijin Mining Group. The goal is to produce 30,000 tons of renewable hydrogen per year.

The country's energy minister said Shanghai Fengling New Energy Co is interested in investing in Serbia's renewable energy and storage capacity, especially renewable hydrogen production capacity.

"Our strategic partner Zijin Mining Group is considering building a hybrid solar and wind power plant in the Bor area. The plant can be used to produce green hydrogen and will enable Zijin to reduce costs."

The minister said there are plans to invest around 2 billion euros in the development and construction of infrastructure including wind and solar power stations, hydrogen storage and hydrogen fuel energy production technologies. The planned capacity is 1.5GW with the possibility of expansion to 2GW.

Zijin Mining owns and operates a large copper and gold mine in Bor, Serbia, according to the company's website.

The energy minister added that in addition to electricity from the mines, renewable energy will also be used to produce hydrogen, with the goal of producing 30,000 tons of renewable hydrogen per year.

Two local sources told ICIS that Serbia needs to develop a hydrogen roadmap and a national strategy to promote the development of its hydrogen market.

"If Serbia is betting on renewables and hydrogen, then it should have a clear plan and legal framework for development," says one local producer.

The second source added: "Although the target of 30,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen capacity per year is ambitious, the whole Balkan region has welcomed it."

Promote renewable energy

According to an energy plan published in July, Serbia aims to increase the share of renewable energy in electricity generation to 45 percent by 2030, while significantly improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent.

According to grid operator EMS, Serbia currently has close to 400MW of wind power capacity and 52MW of photovoltaic capacity.

EMS data shows that Serbia has 4.4GW of coal-fired power capacity, and coal and gas units account for 75 percent of the country's energy mix.