The Pupin wind farm arrives after Kovačica
After the completion of the construction of the Kovačica WPP, the Israeli company Enlight has decided to invest in the Pupin wind farm. Miloš Colić is the director of New Energy Solutions (NES), which designed the Kovačica wind farm, obtained all required permits, participated in the construction process and now operates a 104.5 MW wind farm, on behalf of the company’s client – Enlight. “Apart from the Kovačica wind farm, which is a textbook example of a well-executed project, we are working on the development of the Pupin wind farm for the same investor. This is a new project for which we have obtained an energy permit and have applied for a building permit,” says Mr. Colić.
Does the continued investment of the Israeli company Enlight mean that they are satisfied with the investment environment in Serbia and your company as their representative?
You are absolutely right. From the beginning, our relationship has been based on trust and respect, in line with the business culture of both policies. The result was the fastest-built wind farm in Serbia which has solidified our cooperation and created opportunities for further collaboration. Of course, the investor
must believe that Serbia is a good place to invest. This was the case in the past few years. Also, the adoption of the Law on Renewable Energy Sources will improve the investment environment in Serbia. I want to say that we, as a team and our projects, enjoy the support of the Embassy of Israel in Belgrade, and especially the Israeli ambassador, H.E. Yahel Vilan. I am confident that they are also satisfied with us because we do not use the Embassy as a service for solving problems or putting pressure on state bodies, but we run projects thoroughly and correctly, so we are regularly presented as a good example of a successful investment.
Kovačica WPP is one of the founders of the RES Association in Serbia, and you are the Association’s board member. What is the Association’s mission?
With the help of the EBRD, the Association was founded by the largest operational wind farms Čibuk 1, Kovačica and Alibunar, in which over 600 million euro were invested. The Association’s mission is to be the voice of the green energy industry and a link between developers and the state. The Association aims to improve the business climate and regulations relating to green energy, but also to educate citizens about the importance and benefits of green energy. Recently, the Association signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Ministry of Mining and Energy. We are glad that the Ambassador of Israel attended this solemn act.
“WPP Kovačica contributes to the reduction of CO2 by as much as 250,000 tonnes annually and generates green energy for 60,000 households”
What are the benefits of green energy and specifically the Kovačica wind farm?
Each green kilowatt contributes to reducing the use of fossil fuels and dirty technologies, as well as the reduction in CO2 emissions. In particular, WPP Kovačica contributes to the reduction of CO2 by as much as 250,000 tonnes annually and generates green energy for 60,000 households. Also, each project contributes to the creation of green jobs. As for the concrete benefits of WPP Kovačica, I would like to point out that 2% percent of the profit goes to the local community, that we pay almost half a million euro in taxes annually, that we have built 40km of roads, that we have had a local office in Kovačica since 2013, that we pay taxes to the local budget as well and that, as a socially responsible community, we launch competitions for donations.
Apart from Kovačic and Pupin, is NES working on other projects in the wind industry and beyond?
We manage WPP Čibuk 1 on behalf of our client Vetroelektrane Balkana. We also work as consultants for different clients. We receive inquiries and offers for projects and cooperation daily, which indicates that we have an excellent reputation. The wind industry remains our main business, but we are ready to try our luck in other technologies as well.