Serbia mining:The opening of a new coal open pit mine “Radljevo”, Kolubara/EPS investment of 700MEUR

Published on 10. September 2013., Mining

Safe and stable coal production from Mining Basin “Kolubara” for thermal power plants “Nikola Tesla” is the key support and prerequisite for achieving electricity production balance in Serbia.

In addition to currently active open -pit mines which provide coal for the thermal power plants, it is also planned opening of new ones. “Strategy of Serbia Power Utility Company  by 2015” and “Development plans of Serbia Power Utility Company” anticipate construction of new thermal capacity which would use coal from MB “Kolubara” and an increase of 700 MW. Construction of new thermal capacities must be accompanied by the construction and opening of new open -pit mines that will be able to produce the required coal amount , about 8 million tons of coal per year. To supply a new thermal capacity of TPP “Kolubara B” in Kalenic, there were planned coal reserves from mine “Radljevo” whose opening is scheduled for second part of 2014.

Mr. Jelic, project manager of mine “Radljevo”, says that this is not the opening of a new mine as additional quantities of coal, but as replacing mine  for the existing mines that  do not have anything to explore.

“The plan is that the first excavator move from East field in the second half of next year. “Radljevo” was projected in that way that annual coal production would be 13 million tons. For now it is necessary to establish an investment group, it is formed in order that mine get some status. From the company status depend the dynamics, then how long the opening will take and when the mine will revive. So many things depend on the experts, their knowledge and ingenuity, but also on the money”, said Mr. Jelic. He also indicates that this would be a modern mine, because the worse reservoir parts, very deep and layered that remain in “Kolubara” to be explored, require a little more modern equipment.

Mr. Darko Glisic, president of municipality of Ub, expected that by the implementation of the “Radljevo” project and the coal movement to the municipality of Ub, would grow the number of employers and the cash flow of the budget would increase.

“The importance of this mine will be huge for our municipality. By this mine opening there will be also open and a large number of job positions and we will insist that the priority in getting job have people from our municipality. We intensively prepare for such an event, we already determined the space where will be the seat of “Radljevo” mine and the urban area where could move people who live on the area that would be exploited”, said Mr. Glisic and pointed out that it was anticipated to be open official premises for “Radljevo” mine by 1^st September in the municipality of Ub.

“We have made some organizational chart that includes the director, the deputy director and directors of several services, technical, financial and legal services which are necessary to enable the project implementation”.

The idea of “Radljevo” opening is more than three decades old, but until now, both from objectives and subjective reasons was not realized. It is one of the key state projects, significant not only for the development of Serbian energy system, but of the entire region. A great number of people will have an opportunity for employment and state and MB “Kolubara” will get new tons of coal. Production of the new modern coal mine will begin, as it is announced, in middle of 2014, and coal production in the second half of 2015.

Preliminary project with the feasibility study on the open -pit mine “Radljevo, who did Vattenfall Europe Mining in collaboration with a Faculty of Mining and Geology, defines work technology and necessary investment to produce 13 million tons of coal per year. Open pit Radljevo spreads across seven villages Kalenic, Radljevo, Brgule, Sarbane, Stublenica, Paljuvi and Jabucje. It is planned to be moved about 900 households, public, community and commercial buildings. Area of future mine covers nearly 6.000 hectares, mostly of agricultural land. Exploration coal reserves are 355 million tons with average of 7.234 kJkg. It is estimated that coal production could take up until 2040.

Source; RBK