The gas desulfurization unit at coal-fired thermal power plant Ugljevik was suspended due to the lack of operational permit, less than two months after was officially put into operation. Coalmine and thermal power plant (RiTE) Ugljevik confirmed that the unit was put out of operation due to the said reason, adding that the procedure for obtaining the permit for the continuous operation of the unity is currently ongoing and it is expected that the permit will be issued in the first quarter of 2021.
The flue gas desulfurization unit was officially commissioned in late October. The new facility reduces sulfur dioxide emissions to 150 kilograms per year, from previous 18 tons. This is the largest investment in the power plant since its commissioning in 1985 and will enable its operation for another 20 years. TPP Ugljevik uses coal with high sulfur content – 3 to 5 %. In July, local media reported that the electrostatic filter installed at the plant, which was paid some 10 million euros, is not functioning properly and emits higher concentration of harmful particles than allowed, because the contractor – Czech company ZVVZ Enven Engineering installed faulty equipment. The proper functioning of this filter is a precondition for the launch of a desulfurization facility. In the meantime, Czech company Termochem repaired the filters.
The agreement on the installation of flue gas desulfurization system between coalmine and thermal power plant (RiTE) Ugljevik and Japanese Mitsubishi was signed in July 2016. In late 2017, Japanese Yokogawa Electric Corporation announced that it will deliver a control system for a flu gas desulfurization system for TPP Ugljevik. The project will be managed by Yokogawa’s Austrian subsidiary and the Serbian Office of Yokogawa Europe. The facility will extend the plant’s operational life until 2035 and will help Bosnia and Herzegovina meet the environmental requirements for joining the EU.
