Sustainable techno-economic utilization of hydro potential between Serbia and Romania

The subject of the research is the water potential of the Danube River in Serbia, predominantly in the inter-border section shared with Romania, and implemented and planned models of hydro potential utilization, in techno-economic terms and in the context of CO2 emission reduction and environmental impacts. The first cascade, shared between Serbia and Romania, is the hydropower and navigation system (HPNS) Djerdap 1. It is a complex, multi-purpose facility constructed at km 943 of the Danube, from its confluence with the Black Sea. HPNS Djerdap 2 is another shared hydropower plant on the Danube, on the Serbian-Romanian border, at the Kusjak – Ostrovul Mare profile, at km 863 of the Danube. Both water management facilities, using the renewable water resources, apart from energy and navigation, also have a crucial impact on the development of agriculture, tourism, road and railway traffic in both states. A project of a specific pumped storage hydropower plant (PSHPP) Djerdap 3 is currently being elaborated in Serbia. PSHPP Djerdap 3 would use the head between 400 m asl and 68 m asl, and the water would be taken from Djerdap 1 reservoir at km 1,007 of the Danube. If funds for PSHPP Djerdap 3 would be provided, it would be the largest pumped storage plant in Europe. The project bears a strategic significance for Serbia, among other because it would make the potential construction of solar and wind power plants sustainable in the electric power system in Serbia, towards low carbon society