Kostolac Thermal power plants and mines company undertakes a revitalization cycle on unit B1 which is to join EPS network again in late November. The overhaul of this 350MW where a total of USD 112 mil is invested is the first stage includes construction of the new desulphurization system of the Danube quay and industrial lane.The second stage starting in late December 2019 comprises construction of the new thermal block and capacity expansion of the Drmno pit mine from 9 to 12 million tons of coal annually.
Apart from B1, block A1 is being overhauled which means that electricity in Kostolac is now produced with decreased capacities since only A2 and B2 blocks operate and they produce some 12.000 MWh of electricity for EPS daily.
– In the first half of August, these two blocks produced 145.000 MWh which exceeds this period’s plan regardless of fulfillment of the requests of the electrical and energy system for technical minimum during the night – stated for Serbia Energy Zoran Stanojevic, head of the Directorate for electricity production in TE-KO Kostolac.
As of September 15, Block A1, undergoing overhaul at the moment, will produce electricity, with the power of 100 MWh.
– Block A1 was halted July 18 when the preparation works for capital overhaul started. They should end in September. Due to floods in May this year, technical reliability of the thermal facility must be on higher level because we have ahead of us the winter period during which not all EPS capacities will operate – Dusan Grubetic, lead engineer for turbo generator facility maintenance explained to Serbia Energy.
Block A2, with 210 MWh will start overhaul September 1 and will be operational again in a month. Block B2 was overhauled for 22 days, starting June 18 and then rehabilitation of generator and transformer replacement was carried out by Polish Alstom together with the local maintenance workers. Taking into account overhaul works and their dynamics, all four Kostolac-based thermal blocks will be put into operation starting December 1 when they will again produce some 15% of total electricity which EPS delivers to its consumers.