According to local media, 2023 was extremely difficult for the operation of the coal mine and thermal power plant Gacko, and the only solution was acquiring equipment for coal purification. Reserves in exploitation barely reach two-thirds of the necessary calorific value for the operation of the thermal power plant.
The quantities of quality coal in the Gacko mine have been depleted in the past four decades, which is why only lower quality coal is excavated, which requires a larger number of staff and transport machinery at the coal mine. Although the originally projected lifespan of the power plant has expired, the company’s management believed that the lifespan, with modernization and investment, can be extended.
Acting Director Maksim Skoko stressed that the coal-fired unit must not stop, and there are several reasons for this. From the perspective of energy stability, this is a facility that should not be closed at all. The Republic of Srpska (RS) is not ready for the green agenda. I am not against green energy, he said, adding that the market will determine the plant’s lifespan. Decarbonization is looming and estimates are that over the next 5, 10, and 15 years, the price of electricity will fall below the production cost of the plant.
