Harsh Winter Causes Power Crisis in Bosnia

The power company Elektroprivreda BiH, which delivers most electricity used by households in Bosnia's Federation entity, on Wednesday said it faced the worst production crisis in 60 years, excluding the 1992-95 war.

Due to heavy snow and freezing temperatures all over the country, most hydro-power plants are short of water, since many rivers are frozen.

Apart from the snow and extreme cold, the hydro-power plants have had problems with power in the last few months since water stocks were already low.

Electricity production is now relying mostly on thermo-power plants near the towns of Tuzla and Kakanj, in north-east and central Bosnia respectively.

Although these plants are still functioning, they are running short of coal, which is hard to deliver because deep snow has blocked many roads.

“Supplies are falling and the transport of new supplies is complex due to transport problems,” the power company announced, adding that stores of coal in the plants are mostly under deep snow and frozen.

Miners in Djurdjevik, a mine in north-east Bosnia, have intensified digs of coal to help out, though it means working in temperatures around 15 below zero.  

The transport of coal to the plant in Tuzla is ongoing but slow because of the poor road conditions and problems discharging the loads from the transport trucks.

The power company has canceled exports of electricity to external buyers in order to focus on meeting domestic production needs.

“If we are forced to do so, we will even buy outside electricity, just to ensure our citizens have it,” Midheta Kurspahic of Elektroprivreda BiH told Balkan Insight on Wednesday.

Other problems in the delivery of electricity are that many power lines are down in the southern Herzegovina region after strong winds hit them on Tuesday.

More than 15,000 households have lost power in the eastern part of the city of Mostar, by rough estimates affecting some 50,000 people.

The town of Nevesinje, east of Mostar, is also cut off from electricity. The government and civil protection crews of the Republika Srpska entity are working on getting them reconnected.