City of Sarajevo, BiH to implement geothermal heating project

Smog above city of Sarajevo, BiH (source: flickr/ golian99, creative commons)

Reported locally, a mandate latter has been signed in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina between EBRD and local utility Toplana Sarajevo. The new EBRD Director for the Western Balkans Matteo Colangeli, the Minister of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Physical Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection of Sarajevo Canton Enver Hadziahmetovic and the authorized representative of KJKP “Toplana Sarajevo” signed a mandate letter earlier this week on granting credit and grant funds to start implementation project for the introduction of a district heating system in the Sarajevo Canton. We previously reported on those plans.

According to him, for this purpose, the EBRD will provide EUR 16 million in loans and KM 4 million (around EUR 2 million) in grant funds. 

This project comes at an opportune time where current gas shortages show the dependency on foreign energy sources for the important winter heating period coming up.

Director Colangeli points out that the beginning of work on this project represents a real turning point for Sarajevo.  “This project will reduce air pollution caused by the use of heating oil and will provide alternative fuel sources for heating in the Sarajevo Canton. The effects of this should be visible immediately after the completion of the project.” Colangeli stressed.

EBRD Director for BiH Manuela Naessl hopes for the rapid implementation of this project, which solves air quality problems in the Canton and diversifies Sarajevo’s heating supply, the Sarajevo Canton Protocol and Press Service said. “We are always glad to see that the Canton relies on the Green City Action Plan and we are happy to continue the good cooperation from the past years.” said Naessl.

EBRD previously financed an assessment of thermal energy resources of geothermal and groundwater aquifers in Sarajevo, a project that started in 2021 and is to conclude in 2022. We assume this is part of the project.

Source: Depo Portal