Director of Strategy at Serbian state-owned power utility EPS Aleksandar Jakovljevic said at the energy conference in Belgrade that the company plans to invest 600 million euros to increase the capacity of its thermal and hydropower plants. However, he did not provide a timeframe for this investment.
Jakovljevic said that EPS is aware of Serbia’s obligations as part of its EU accession process and will work to meet them by investing in the modernization of existing capacities. He noted that EPS has already completed works on the overhaul of HPP Bajina Basta, while similar projects for HPP Zvornik and HPP Djerdap I are currently being implemented. Ba investing in the modernization of HPPs, EPS managed to increase its hydropower capacity by some 150 MW.
Last week, Minister of Energy and Mining Aleksandar Antic said that EPS will invest some 250 million euros in Kolubara coalmines in 2017, adding that three news pits will be opened: E, G and Radaljevo, which will secure coal production in the long-term, as some 50 % of Serbia’s electricity is produced from the coal from Kolubara.
According to him, Kolubara needs to produce more than 28 million tons of coal per year and this investment will secure production between 28.5 and 30 million tons. The first mining activities in fields E and G will take place in 2017. The start of coal production in the field E and initial stripping in the field G is expected by the end of the year, while activities in the Radaljevo field will start in 2018, with the final aim to completely replace Tamnava-West field open pit.