Last week, the Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović said that the State’s intention is to “pave the way” for Serbia’s energy independence at the lowest possible cost while preserving a healthy environment. To achieve this, investments of 32 billion euros are planned over the next 25 years.
Opening the second day of the regional Look up! conference on Mount Kopaonik in Serbia, Minister Đedović said that, in addition to new capacities for the production of electricity from renewable sources, large funds are being invested in energy efficiency projects and the revitalisation of existing thermal power plants.
“We are investing hundreds of millions of euros in the construction of the desulphurisation plant,” she said. “The new power plant in Kostolac will meet all European and global environmental protection standards. The desulphurisation plant in Kostolac B is the first to be built and is operating at full capacity. It cost 96 million euros and now the emissions of sulfur dioxide have been reduced by 20 per cent.”
The Minister emphasised that the existing energy plants “cannot be closed overnight”, but a transition plan must be in place. She noted that the construction of the desulphurisation plant in Thermal Plant Nikola Tesla (TENT) A and TENT B is underway. After the revitalisation of TENT A, the emission of sulfur dioxide will be ten times lower and at TENT B, even 15 times lower.
In parallel, work is underway to increase the capacity of renewable energy sources (RES) in order to preserve the stability of the electricity system in a sustainable way. The Minister emphasised that it is necessary to prepare the power grid for an increase in RES and that the expansion and strengthening of transmission capacities in the next quarter of the century will cost 10 billion euros.
The Minister pointed out that projects in the field of energy efficiency are being implemented and added that in October, electricity savings in state administration buildings were up by 25 per cent compared to the same period last year, with the Ministry alone recording savings of 45 per cent.