In the past year, thermal power plant Stanari has produced 1,953,627 MWh of electricity, which is above the amount planned for this period, while record monthly production was achieved in January 2017 with 206,735 MWh of electricity.
TPP Stanari is the first private investment in large conventional power production facility in former Yugoslavia. The project started in 2004, when EFT was selected as the best bidder on the international tender for the selection of strategic partner for coalmine Stanari. Since the demand of lignite in the region was in decline, EFT decided to build a thermal power plant near the coalmine. Initial plans envisaged the construction of 400 MW unit that was supposed to produce some 3 TWh of electricity per year, project was financially supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the equipment was to be delivered by French Alstom.
However, the final agreement was not reached, EFT turned to Chinese company Dongfang and reduced the output of the plant to 300 MW, planned production to 2 TWh of electricity per year and gross efficiency from 43 % to 38.5 %. TPP Stanari was officially commissioned on 20 September 2016, the cost of the project totaled some 550 million euros, while most of the funds were provided by China Development Bank.
In May, there were some speculations that Croatian state-owned power utility HEP is interested in acquiring 50 % stake in TPP Stanari. Spokesperson for EFT said that since the start of regular production at TPP Stanari, the company is seeking for a strategic partner in line with the long-term development strategy of the company, but declined to comment media reports that Croatian power utility HEP is the most likely buyer of 50 % stake in the plant.
