Britain's Mineco seeks to build mini HPPs in Serbia

BELGRADE - The British company Mineco will build four mini hydropower plants in Serbia, Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic announced on Tuesday.

In a few weeks, officials of the Ministry of Mining and Energy, local self-government authorities and the British company will sign contracts on construction of the mini hydropower plants, Antic told Tanjug after a meeting with British Ambassador Denis Keefe.

We agreed that there is a need for broader cooperation between our two countries and that it is in Serbia's interest to make the business environment attractive to as many British companies as possible, Antic said.

He said that he informed the British ambassador that the new energy law will be adopted by the end of the year and that the first version of the draft law on mining and geological research will be complete in mid-November.

"The adoption of those two laws will be an invitation to new investors and I expect that Serbia will be interesting for investments, in particular in mining and energy," the Serbian minister said.

British firms are interested in investing in the Serbian energy sector and other areas of the economy, Ambassador Keefe said, expressing hope that representatives of British and Serbian companies will be able to discuss investments and future cooperation at the Prague energy summit.

Asked about Great Britain's position on the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline, Keefe responded that his country is not a partner in that project, but that general compliance with European norms is important.

Photo Tanjug, T. Valic (archive)