Bosnia’s Muslim-Croat Federation next month will showcase opportunities for investments in renewable energy projects worth over EUR 5 billion (USD 6.8bn).

The projects include the construction of more than 20 wind farms with a capacity of up to 5 MW each, 16 hydropower plants (HPPs), 250 small-scale HPPs, and six thermal power plants.

The Federation government plans to hold an energy forum in March to seek strategic partnerships for the projects, which are planned to be completed within seven years, the Federation's Energy, Mining and Industry Minister Vahid Heco said last week.

The Federation Parliament has already adopted a strategic plan for development of its energy sector and the relevant regulations on the use of power from renewable sources are expected to be adopted by the end of this month.

The country’s two power utilities, Energoinvest d.d. Sarajevo and Hidrogradnja d.d., will carry out some of the projects, while strategic partners will be sought for the construction of the thermal power stations, Heco said.

Last month the Federation government said it plans to invest some 10 billion marka ($7.4 billion/5.1 billion euro) in various energy projects by 2018 to curb power shortages and imports.