The project for the construction of combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Pancevo is in the final stage and it should be commissioned in the third quarter of the year, said Director of local subsidiary of Russian Gazprom Energoholding Pavel Sergeev.
Sergeev said that the preparatory works for the commissioning of CHPP Pancevo are being carried out at that moment. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the implementation of the state of emergency in Serbia and the difficulties regarding the supply of the equipment and the arrival of the staff, the deadline for the commissioning of the facility has been moved, but the aim is to put the thermal power plant into operation in the third quarter of 2021. He pointed out that CHPP Pancevo will be the first steam-gas power plant in Serbia with modern and high-tech equipment, while the use of natural gas as a fuel is more ecologically acceptable, so it will contribute to Serbia meeting its goals as regards sustainable development. He emphasized that Serbia and the Balkans region as a whole remained one of the promising directions of development of the international operations of Gazprom Energoholding. The company is considering projects of construction of gas-fired cogeneration power plants in Serbia, including an independent project of construction of a wind farm with installed capacity of 200 MW. He added that preparatory works for a project in areas with the necessary wind potential are being carried out at that moment.
In 2015, Serbian oil company NIS, majority owned by Russian GazpromNeft, has signed an agreement with Gazprom Energoholding, a part of Gazprom Group, on the establishment of joint company for the construction of thermal power plant near Pancevo. In October 2017, NIS signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract on a turnkey basis worth 180 million euros with Shanghai Electric Group. It was initially expected that the construction of CHPP Pancevo will start in the second half of 2018 and be commissioned by the end of 2019. The construction of CHPP Pancevo has officially started in March 2019. 200 MW power plant will be built within NIS’ oil refinery complex in Pancevo, the project will cost 180 million euros and it is expected to be completed in mid-2020 and fully operational by the end of the year. It should contribute to an increase in the stability of supply of electricity, thanks to directing up to 65 % of the power produced to the energy system of Serbia, while also covering the needs of Pancevo refinery for electricity and steam.