In the fertile plains of South Banat in Serbia and stretching into the Demir Kapija region of North Macedonia, wind energy projects are proliferating so rapidly that local communities struggle to keep pace with decision-making and planning processes. Advocates and officials in both countries promote wind power as a cornerstone of the energy transition, yet many of the developments are drawing debate over land use, environmental impact assessments and the ownership structures behind the turbines. The expansion of wind farms has raised questions about transparency and the evolving role of the state in shaping the renewable energy landscape.
Wind energy in Serbia has been present for more than a decade but still represents a relatively modest share of total electricity generation. Almost all wind farms are privately owned, with only a single notable exception – the Kostolac wind park operated by the state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS). The broader growth of the sector has depended on private investment backed by state incentives rather than direct public ownership or management. A similar pattern of private capital driving wind-power development is visible across the border in North Macedonia.
South Banat has emerged as Serbia’s primary centre of wind power deployment. On the energy map of the region, wind parks such as Kovačica, Pupin, Čibuk 1, Alibunar and Alibunar I already stand as major facilities. Alongside these, the Alibunar 1 and Alibunar 2 projects are being developed in tandem, with further planned sites at Samoš and Samoš 2 still at the planning stage. In addition to these larger parks, smaller installations such as the Malibunar wind farm and other lower-capacity projects contribute to the regional wind energy landscape, though they have less impact on the overall spatial and energy picture. New wind energy proposals are also emerging around the municipality of Pančevo.
The region’s wind sector presents two distinct models of development. Some projects originally advanced under European ownership have transitioned into Chinese hands, while others remain formally registered to domestic companies whose ultimate investors are not always clearly identified. In both models, a significant operational role has been played by Lazar Lazendić, a business figure associated with over 18 different companies and with collaborative ties to EPS. Lazendić typically appears as director and legal representative of special-purpose project companies tasked with steering individual wind farm ventures through planning, permitting and early construction phases, before major capital arrives from abroad.
Chinese involvement has become especially evident in recent years. The historic and largest wind installation in the region, the Alibunar wind park, was built by the Belgian developer Elicio, which also developed the smaller Malibunar site. In 2023, the Alibunar I wind farm, with an installed capacity of 9 MW, came online with investment from the Slovenian company Rudis, marking the first new wind park in Serbia since Čibuk 1. Parallel development of larger Alibunar 1 and Alibunar 2 projects with combined planned capacity of around 168 MW began under a portfolio managed by Belgian-Dutch firm Windvision, via its Serbian subsidiary WV International.
Towards the end of 2024, both the Alibunar 1 and Alibunar 2 projects underwent a change in ownership. Majority stakes were acquired by Heavy Energy International Limited, a company based in Hong Kong linked to the Chinese wind-turbine manufacturer SANY Renewable Energy. Despite the shift in capital origins, operational leadership on the ground has largely remained the same, with Lazendić continuing to oversee project companies and handle engagement with Serbian authorities. Significantly, EPS agreed in May 2025 to buy the entire output of these wind farms under a market-premium support regime, formally integrating them into Serbia’s renewable energy support framework.
The growing footprint of Chinese finance and equipment in South Banat’s wind energy sector reflects a broader pattern across Serbia and North Macedonia, where Chinese firms are entering clean-energy projects as technology suppliers, financial partners or majority owners, typically after key regulatory and planning risks have been resolved. These investments have also been bolstered by intergovernmental memorandums signed in January 2024 with Chinese companies such as Shanghai Fengling Renewable and Zijin Mining Group, outlining expansive cooperation in wind, solar and green hydrogen projects. Zijin already holds strategic interests in Serbia’s mining sector through its majority ownership in the former state-owned RTB Bor copper producer, situating the wind initiatives within a wider context of Chinese infrastructure and industrial engagement under the Belt and Road framework.
However, the presence of Chinese capital and manufacturers on the European renewable energy stage is not without controversy. International media have reported that European Union authorities launched a preliminary investigation in 2024 into the Chinese turbine maker Goldwind over concerns that foreign subsidies may be giving it unfair competitive advantages in the EU market. This scrutiny underscores wider tensions as global supply chains and investment flows intersect with regional energy and industrial policies.
The rapid growth of wind farms in South Banat exemplifies the complex interplay between private investment, state incentives, foreign capital and local agency in the renewable energy transition. For communities and policymakers alike, reconciling ambitions for green power with transparency in ownership, environmental protections and broader participation in decision-making remains an unfolding challenge.
