Development of hydro potential in Republic Srpska

Thanks to its natural resources the Republic Srpska (RS) is considered as one of the hydro potential rich countries. The total hydro potential of RS equals 2570MW of installed power, and 9.666GWh/yr of average annual production. Only 3079GWh/yr of this production is effectively used which means that the hydro potential in RS is currently utilized by approximately 32%. Bearing in mind the poor utilization of hydro potential it is necessary to create conditions for significant investments into hydro power stations. The building of hydro power stations on the territory of RS represents an important contribution to sustainable development of environment protection, the local communities, and social cohesion (employment, reduction of migration, etc.). This paper presents analysis of the existing hydro potential on the RS territory, a review of existing hydro power stations and a proposal for future development of these systems, which should have positive impact not only on the energy budget in general, but also on sustainable development.