Serbian oil company NIS is stepping into utility-scale renewable power generation after receiving local approval for a new solar project in eastern Serbia. The City of Smederevo has formally acknowledged the company’s application to build a solar power plant with integrated battery storage, clearing the way for construction to begin in mid-January.
The project received its construction permit decision on 15 December, while NIS has indicated 15 January as the planned start date for on-site works. The facility will be developed on an undeveloped plot owned by the company within its oil products storage complex in Smederevo.
According to project documentation, the plant will be connected to the electricity distribution network and will sell all generated power once it receives official producer status. As part of the permitting process, NIS submitted a request to the city’s urban planning department to determine whether a full environmental impact assessment is required.
The solar installation will comprise around 5,400 photovoltaic panels and seven inverters, delivering a total installed capacity of approximately 3.13 MW. The project also includes a battery energy storage system with a power rating of 500 kW and an energy capacity of 1 MWh, spread across five battery modules.
The Smederevo plant represents a major step-up for NIS’s renewable portfolio. Until now, the company has focused on small rooftop solar systems at fuel stations and operational facilities for self-consumption. Those projects together total about 3.2 MW, meaning the new plant alone will almost match the capacity of NIS’s entire existing solar fleet.
Industry observers view the investment as part of NIS’s broader effort to diversify beyond hydrocarbons, and as a strategic response to increasingly challenging operating conditions following the introduction of US sanctions, signaling a gradual repositioning toward more resilient and diversified energy operations.