B3 Unit Construction Close to the Finish Line

11/28/2022
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China and Minister of Mining and Energy Visiting Kostolac

On 26 November, the Minister or Mining and Energy, Ms Dubravka Djedovic, visited Kostolac pier and the new B3 unit construction site at the Kostolac B TPP. Together with Ms Chen Bo, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, she attended delivery of key equipment for the completion of B3 unit and announced grid connection of the said unit for 28 June next year.

- Unit synchronization is expected in June 2023, while until October it will be in stable operation. After three decades, Serbia is building a new operating unit which is important for electricity generation particularly in the current energy crisis, but also in the years to come. Electricity generation with coal mining is essential for our industry and households. It is important that the new unit is constructed by applying cutting-edge environmental protection standards and that it will be the cleanest of all units in terms of emissions – said Minister Djedovic.

She recalled that the new 350 MWh would generate additional 2.5 billion KWh which is around five percent of generation capacity of Electric Power Industry of Serbia. Ms Djedovic highlighted that 61 Serbian companies were engaged in the construction with 1,000 workers, and that additional 200 workers would be engaged soon in order to complete all works within the foreseen period.

Her Excellency, Ms Chen Bo, said that the arrival of new equipment was of great importance to maintain the foreseen project schedule.

- Unit B3, is of great importance for Serbia’s economic development, and in the last almost three years, a number of difficulties have been overcome, such as the pandemic, material and labor costs increase and, finally, instability of international logistics, with joint efforts of Chinese and Serbian side. Now, we are entering a final, key, phase – said Ms Chen Bo.

Mr. Zelјko Ilic, Kostolac TPP-OCM Production Manager said that Kostolac had been an important link in coal production and electricity generation for decades.

- With over nine million tons of excavated coal annually, Kostolac thermal power plants generated 6,000 GWh of electricity. Electric Power Industry of Serbia implemented significant environmental protection measures: NOx and SOx emission reduction plants, modern electrostatic precipitators, as well as a new wastewater treatment plant – said Mr. Ilic.

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