“It would be a great pity if, due to a lack of understanding of the concept of small hydropower plants (SHP), citizens would be deprived of such an important technology. If they are built according to the rules of the profession, small hydropower plants are an excellent source for production of ecologically clean energy. Such energy is considered renewable energy that does not have a negative impact on the environment”, states the P.R.; that is, the sponsored article of the Association of Electricity Producers from Renewable Energy Sources of Banja Luka published in one BiH newspaper to the media under the title “Small hydropower plants: energy potential or ecological danger?”
On this occasion, we would like to remind the public that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina have seen through previous examples and research that small hydropower plants have a negative impact on the environment, i.e., that they only cause damage to nature, the economy and local communities, and that the benefits arising from their construction are small or non-existent for the state and society. The exclusive benefit from the construction of SHP is given to investors whose main interest is the acquisition of material resources.
During the preparation of the project and construction, and later the operation of the hydroelectric power plant itself, a number of omissions occur, including omissions when issuing the necessary documentation and involving the interested public by the competent institutions. In the administrative procedures for obtaining building permits, numerous gross violations of legal regulations were found, and it is clear that in a large number of cases, SHPs in Bosnia and Herzegovina are not built according to the rules of the profession.
Because of all the above, citizens and associations gathered in the Coalition for the Protection of Rivers in BiH have been asking for years to stop the construction of hydropower plants on our rivers.
The aforementioned text further claims: “They do not affect the flow of the river itself, nor its hydrological, ecological and biological properties, and thanks to modern technical solutions, they do not prevent the unhindered movement of fish, which is particularly important from the point of view of the preservation of animal life. Therefore, respecting the rules of the profession, every small hydropower plant is obliged to fulfil the basic obligations of environmental protection during operation and cessation of operation.”
Such claims are, to say the least, untrue, as anyone can see for themselves by visiting any of the rivers on which such facilities have been built. These so-called ecological projects leave incalculable consequences for nature. The beds of our rivers are dry for the majority of the year due to the operation of small hydroelectric plants, because the biological minimum, i.e., the ecologically acceptable flow rate, is not respected and therefore the unhindered development of plant and animal life is not possible. Fish lanes have proven to be ineffective, as the majority of the fish population does not use them due to the inadequate slope, and there is also frequent blocking of the lanes by operators with the aim of increasing the amount of water on the turbines.
The fish species that spawn in the upstream parts are therefore not able to overcome the obstacles on the fishing paths, and the decrease in the population of fish species, especially endemic and endangered ones, leads to disruption in the entire ecosystem.
We remind you that 119 hydroelectric power plants have been built in Bosnia and Herzegovina so far, and another 342 facilities are planned for construction. If these plans are realized, Bosnia and Herzegovina is under serious threat of loss of drinking water, because such facilities are most often built on fast mountain watercourses near the source of watercourses of the first category, and often in protected and planned areas for nature protection.
Until now, the Ugar, Sana, Doljanka, Vrhovinska river and many other rivers in BiH have already been destroyed or significantly damaged. In addition to the destruction of the river itself, for the construction of these facilities, large amounts of forests are destroyed for the construction of access roads, landslides are often triggered, which is the case with the Bjelava river.
“In addition, at least 60 percent, and most often 100 percent, of the construction of small hydropower plants is carried out by hiring domestic labour, which also participates in the operation of the power plant itself. In addition to regular taxes and levies – profit tax, VAT, concession fees, water fees and forest fees are also paid, which have a significant economic effect.”
In 90 percent of cases in BiH, after the construction of a small hydroelectric power plant, its operation is fully automated, and supervision is carried out remotely. The only labour force is the hired guardians of the HPP facilities who occasionally clean drifts of branches and leaves from the water intake.
As stated in the “Analysis of the economic justification of concession fees and incentives for small hydroelectric power plants in BiH”, incentives for production and the system of guaranteed purchase (FiT) and valid concession policies, and guaranteed profit in a long period without the usual market risks, with inadequate government policies on the protection of natural wealth, resources and biodiversity, have done more social harm than good.
Revenues from concession fees and on other grounds that make up the total social benefit are far less than social costs. The current system of incentives for production from hydropower plants in BiH is not socially and economically justified, but causes direct financial damage to society, which in 2017 amounted to over four million convertible marks. This means that the total damage to society that will be caused by the further application of this model of encouraging production in SHPs in the next 10 years, based only on the promotion of the current number of SHPs that are in operation, can be estimated at over 40 million KM.
“The construction of small hydroelectric power plants ensures the use of hydropower from small watercourses, the rapid electrification of rural areas and buildings far from the electricity grid, the reduction of fossil fuel consumption, and thus the import of electricity. Everyday scenes of smoke-enshrouded cities clearly indicate that in the Republic of Srpska there is a “minute to 12” moment, that is, it is high time that the use of renewable energy sources and hydro potential become a priority public interest, which would provide citizens with clean air, better health, and a better future for present and future generations.”
The example that there is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina whose inhabitants are without electricity, even though several small hydroelectric power plants have been built in the village, does not support the claim that these projects will enable rapid electrification of rural areas, because the priority here is not the citizens, but the realization of the personal profit of the investors:
Furthermore, the fact is that the existing capacities of small hydroelectric power plants contribute only 3.10% to the total production of electricity in BiH, so it is difficult to imagine that this technology will succeed in replacing the production of electricity from fossil fuels.
It is true that the perspective of the EU and the Energy Community is directed towards the reduction and elimination of harmful emissions, as well as the closure of thermal power plants and the transition to renewable energy sources. However, this statement cannot be linked to small hydroelectric power plants as a solution for the transition, considering that they make a small contribution to the energy transition with a very small participation in the total production from renewable energy sources and at the same time cause damage to biodiversity, natural habitats and local communities that live alongside rivers.
It is exactly one minute to 12 to stop producing energy from small hydroelectric plants, because it has an extremely negative impact on nature, the economy, and local communities that are increasingly opposed to these projects throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. A step towards this goal is the new Law on Renewable Energy Sources of the RS, which does not provide for incentives for hydropower plants with a capacity of more than 150 kW, which is certainly the result of the efforts of environmental activists, experts and local communities who have experienced the damage of hydropower projects.
Earlier, in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, by adopting the Declaration on the Protection of the Rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, they confirmed what the environmental activist community has been warning about for decades: small hydropower plants are harmful projects and their implementation must be stopped!
