The European Investment Bank (EIB), via its financial arm EIB Global, has announced a significant loan to support the construction of a 50-MW wind farm on the elevated terrain of Vlasic mountain in central Bosnia. The loan, totaling EUR 36 million (USD 39 million), marks a crucial step in advancing the Vlasic wind power project, which aims to install up to 18 turbines.
Situated approximately 15 km (9.3 miles) northwest of Travnik, the wind farm is a collaborative effort led by Bosnian public utility JP Elektroprivreda Bosne i Hercegovine d.d. Sarajevo, with an estimated project cost exceeding EUR 91 million.
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In conjunction with the loan, the EIB is also providing technical assistance grants totaling around EUR 300,000. Additional funding support is being extended through the Western Balkans Investment Fund (WBIF), with the EU allocating EUR 21 million in grants for the Vlasic initiative. Germany's KfW development bank is contributing a EUR 16.5 million loan, while Bosnia and Herzegovina is offering a contribution of EUR 16.7 million.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's Finance Minister, Srdjan Amidzic, underscored the significance of such projects, stating, “These types of projects are important, not only in terms of increased climate change, but also in their impact on all of us.” He further emphasized the broader implications, expressing hope for future endeavors, saying, “The implementation of such projects is important for the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I hope that there will be many more of them in the future, especially with our partners assisting in development and investing in all regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina equally.”
