The construction of the biggest wind park in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which Chinese state companies plan to invest €130 million, began on Ivovik hill near Livno on Thursday.

The investment by China National Technical Import & Export Corporation and Powerchina Resources is the biggest in renewables in BiH and the first wind park they are building.

The total power of the wind park will be 84 megawatts and the plan is to produce 236.6-gigawatt hours of electricity per year.

The prime minister of Herceg Bosna Canton, Ivan Vukadin, said he was pleased with the investment and that the project would protect the environment.

“We have always been available to all investors for any project, notably a project that will reduce CO2 in line with European Union recommendations,” he added.

The Ivovik wind park was mentioned as one of the important projects at the China-Central and Eastern Europe summit that was held early this year and was chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Research shows that Herzegovina has the biggest potential for wind parks in BiH. According to a study by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the cost-efficient potential for construction amounts to 10,610 MW and the production potential to 22,893 GWh. Last year BiH's electricity consumption was slightly over 12,000 GWh.