The Electric Power Industry of Serbia currently has the largest investment in the company “Thermal Power Plants and Mines Kostolac“. This is the construction of a new thermal power plant, the future block B3 in the Thermal Power Plant “Kostolac B“ and the expansion of production capacities in the OPM “Drmno“.
Parallel to this, there are also investments in the existing capacities in Kostolac. The investments are a confirmation of further development not only of Kostolac, but also of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia. On this occasion, Goran Horvat, as the Acting Director of the company from Kostolac, has recently said:
– The revitalization of blocks B1 and B2 is of special importance for the electric power system. Namely, first of all, these blocks are the youngest in the EPS, but even as such, they never achieved the design capacity of 350 megawatts and they operated at the maximum capacity of 300 megawatts. Today, both blocks almost have the maximum power. Warranty tests are still ongoing on the first block, B1, and even in this mode, the block is operating with the capacity of 330 to 340 megawatts. After the revitalization, the second block, B2, has been operating continuously at the capacity of 350 megawatts. The operational life of these blocks has also been extended by these revitalizations, at least by 15 – 20 years. In addition, the most modern equipment which corresponds to the European standards within the field of ecology and energy efficiency has been installed on the block B1. When it comes to environmental requirements, they are extremely strict in the EU, and through the revitalization, we have solved the biggest problems by constructing a flue gases desulphurization plant and a plant for reducing the emission of nitrogen oxides and other solutions.
The Electric Power Industry of Serbia has not built any new plants in the thermal power sector for over 25 years. Serbia is lacking electricity and by starting economic activities, this deficit will be even higher. In the days with the highest electricity consumption, the EPS operates at the limits of its capacity and it hardly succeeds in satisfying the required consumption. By the construction of a new block with the capacity of 350 megawatts, Kostolac will significantly increase the energy stability of the entire system. There are two very old blocks operating in Kostolac, with the capacities of 100 and 210 megawatts, which, for the time being, are planned for decommissioning around 2024, so that this new block would become a replacement capacity in a way. Of course, we have suggestions and ideas for these old blocks to be revitalized, too, and to serve for operation in the winter period or when the energy system needs additional energy, particularly as both these blocks have been operating as the plants for producing induction steam for the blocks B, but also for heating the towns of Požarevac and Kostolac. Finally, we will obtain the block B3 under extremely favorable conditions, and the block B3 should be one of the most modern plants in the EPS with supercritical elements, which means that the equipment and environmental protection which fulfills the standard to be introduced by the EU by the end of 2019 will be installed in it.
I think I have already said that Kostolac is the part of the EPS that provides stability with around 6.5 billion kilowatt –hours annually for the time being, and when the block B3 has also been built, there will be more than eight billion kilowatt-hours. Finally, the state cannot fail to develop its own energy resources because of the energy supply security, and the block B3 will exactly provide the possibility of continuing the energy development of our Electric Power Industry. I think that it really is more stable and that the production is significantly more reliable. The operation of block B1on the grid is stable although the warranty tests on it are still ongoing. I have to say that the revitalization of B1 is an extremely complex procedure and that, within the carried out works, the volume of performed works is equal to the volume of works carried out in two years for B2. On this plant, the works were finished in one year. Namely, the block B1 entered revitalization last year in March, and this year in March, it confirmed the capacity of 342 megawatts. It is certain that there is enough energy in Serbia because the EPS is a strong company with very good capacities, the capacities in Kostolac also being among them. , transmits serbia-energy.eu
