Public consultations on the draft of Serbia’s 2030 Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) will last until 27 July, said Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović, who attended the launch of the consultations last week (11 July).
“Our key goals include increasing the share of RES [renewable energy sources] in electricity production to 45 per cent, significantly increasing energy efficiency, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40.4 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990. Achieving these goals also implies the construction of new production capacities, including solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 3.4 GW [gigawatts], as well as a new gas power plant with a capacity of 350 MW [megawatts],” Minister Đedović said during the launch of the consultations.
The total investment needs included in the NECP plans are estimated at around 10.72 billion euros for the public sector until 2030, with cumulative investment needs of 27.41 billion euros until 2030, the head of Serbia’s energy policy noted.
“We expect to adopt the Integrated Plan in the fall. The new Energy Development Strategy is being worked on in parallel,” Minister Đedović added.
Regional climate non-governmental organisation (NGO) CEE Bankwatch Network has criticised the draft document. “Serbia’s draft NECP is a puzzling document, raising more questions than answers. It falls short on carbon neutrality and energy savings while being too optimistic about hydrogen, fossil gas, biofuels, and biomass,” the NGO said via Twitter on Monday (17 July).
At last week’s consultations launch, Minister Đedović underscored that EU and financial institutions’ support is essential for Serbia’s energy transition process to be financially sustainable and socially equitable. The Minister acknowledged that transitioning away from coal, which Serbia has relied on for decades, requires time and external support, considering the disparities in energy and financial resources compared to EU member states.
