The danger to the Serbia energy system is not over yet, but it remains stable and restrictions are not planned, said acting director of EPS Aleksandar Obradovic. Obradovic said that EPS had no plan to increase electricity for tariff consumers in this year.
If we have to import more electricity because of the flood consequences, it will be reflected in the price that is on the open market – for the consumers on high and medium voltage, but not for tariff customers, because EPS has not predicted it in the business plan for this year, stated Obradovic.
He announced that Obrenovac would got electricity when the water withdrew, pointing out that the EPS was ready to connect consumers in the city, when the danger passed, because of the submerged plants and when the water dried.
Power system has remained stable, although TENT A and Kolubara do not work, HPP “Djerdap” works with reduced capacity and some substations do not work, and that thanks to, as he said, because of superhuman efforts of employees in EPS, and not because we have super modern system, Obradovic said.
EPS showed, as well as during NATO bombing campaign that it is a strong system that also can withstand a catastrophic scenario, such as this one with floods, said Obradovic. He said that by the end of this week should begin coal transport from Kolubara to TENT in Obrenovac and then Kolubara would gradually raise production, as he hopes that TENTA and thermal power plants and mines Kostolac will “survive”.
“Tamnava West field” in Kolubara, on which the coal for thermal power plant in Obrenovac is produced, currently is the fourth largest lake in Serbia, and the coal mine “Veliki Crljeni” also is flooded, said Obradovic.
HPP “Djerdap” works with about 40 percent of capacity and EPS deliberately loses in order to drain water in the Danube and to reduce the water in the flooded areas, he noted, adding that power lines at landslides also are vulnerable and that there is a possibility of losing one transmission line, but that this situation can be overcome with the system help from the neighboring countries.
When it comes to the damage assessment that EPS has suffered, Obradovic said that the assessment work would be done during next week, but it was already possible to speak about the damage of around 200MEUR. Obradovic also said that, when necessary, EPS imported electricity from Hungary, Republika Srpska and Bulgaria at, as he said, the market prices, because nobody supplied electricity to EPS for free.
