Kamengrad lignite power plant, Bosnia-Herzegovina

An idea to build a power plant at the open-cast Kamengrad coal mine near Sanski Most in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been around for years, but in November 2017 it took a step forward with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Energy China International and the construction supplier Lager d.o.o. for a 2 x 215 MW plant. 

Few details are available about the plant, and it has no environmental permit and no financing. As with other plants across the region, unrealistic employment promises have already been made. In December 2017 head of the Sanski Most District Faris Hasanbegović stated that it would provide 1000 workplaces.  

This does not appear to have convinced local people, however. As it would be a new power plant, it has attracted much more opposition locally than most other planned plants in the country. Sanski Most is located on the beautiful river Sana and prides itself on having no fewer than nine rivers in the district altogether. As a scenic and green area many of its residents feel that the power plant will spoil its potential for agriculture and tourism rather than bringing prosperity. 

At a public debate on the adoption of the Una-Sana Canton spatial plan in August 2018, Sanski Most residents and the local council demanded the removal of the power plant project from the plan. This was carried out, although the plan was never adopted. In November 2019, another presentation of the Kamengrad coal power plant project appeared on the agenda of the Sanski Most Municipal Council. However, the meeting was cancelled after public pressure. 

Another issue is that the concession for the mine was awarded to Lager d.o.o. after a bankruptcy procedure was carried out for the previous operator, RMU Kamengrad, but in 2017 the bankruptcy decision was declared illegal by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and returned to the Una-Sana Canton court.  

As of early 2024, the plant is very unlikely to go ahead but has not been officially cancelled.