The “Radoinja” dam is located on the Uvac River near Nova Varoš city, 12 km downstream of the “Kokin brod” dam. It was built in 1959. Its catchment area is 13,310 km2. The average river discharge is 14.4 m3/s.
The “Radoinja” dam is a rockfill structure with a waterproof asphalt concrete screen, 42 m high and 361 m long. In its middle part is located a concrete spillway block. The spillway capacity is 1,400 m3/s.
The “Bistrica” HPP is a diversion-type HPP. Water is conveyed from the “Radoinja” reservoir toward the HPP by a waterway that includes: intake, pressure tunnel (with a length of 8,030 m and a diameter of 4 m), surge tank and penstock (two pipes, each 1,357 m long and 2.2/2.1 m in diameter). A pre-feasibility study for an increase of the generating unit capacity was completed in 2010. The “Radoinja” reservoir does not have to discharge ecological flow under all circumstances. The main characteristics of the “Bistrica” HPP and “Radoinja” dam and appurtenant structures are as follows:
- “Radoinja” reservoir:
| Total volume | 7.6 Mm3 |
| Live volume | 4.1 Mm3 |
| Max. OEL | 815.0 m.a.s.l. |
| Normal OEL | 812.0 m.a.s.l. |
| Min. OEL | 805.0 m.a.s.l. |
- “Radoinja” dam
| Type | Rock fill with asphalt screen |
| Crest elevation | 816.2 m.a.s.l. |
| Height | 42 m |
- “Bistrica” HPP
| Type | Derivation |
| Max. head | 378 m |
| Rated head | 360 m |
| Min. head | 345 m |
| Installed flow | 36 m3/s |
| Installed power | 103 MW |
| Annual energy | 370 GWh |
| No. of units | 2 |
| Type of turbine | Francis |
Source: IWRM Country Report for Serbia, COWI, Stucky and Jaroslav Cerni Water Institute, 2017