A group of ten engineers from China arrived in Sarajevo two weeks ago and, after the obligatory 14-day self-isolation, have already started operational meetings with the leaders of “Elektroprivreda BiH” on the project of building Block 7 of the Tuzla Thermal Power Plant, which was extended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It is about the arrival of the first group of engineers from Beijing in BiH who will design the largest post-war investment in BiH, worth 1.4 billion BAM (722 million euros), Sa-C news portal reports.
This information was confirmed for Avaz by Senad Salkic, the executive director for investments in “Elektroprivreda BiH” and the head of this large state project.
He confirmed that the Chinese arrived to Sarajevo and Tuzla on August 10, but that the health issue and mandatory self-isolation were in the foreground after his arrival.
Block 7 will be built by the Chinese consortium “China Gezhouba Group Company Limited Beijing” and “Gedi – Guandong Electric Power Design Institute”.
This is only the first engineering installation, and around 1,000 workers are expected on the construction site in the peak of the construction of the Block.
“Preparatory works carried out by” Elektroprivreda “are proceeding according to a dynamic plan and the construction site is ready to be handed over to Chinese partners for the needs of their mobilization,” Salkic explained.
A month ago, “Elektroprivreda BiH” paid 214 million BAM in advance to Chinese partners. In this way, this state-owned company will comply with its part of the obligations from the contract and the investment worth 1.4 billion marks, which was approved by the Government and the Parliament of the Federation.
The construction will be financed with credit funds from Exim Bank, while 15 percent of EPBiH has been allocated from its own funds.