In the first quarter of 2019, Electric Power Industry of Serbia produced three percent more coal and generated one percent more electricity than in the same period previous year, said Mr. Aleksandar Antić, the Minister of Mining and Energy during the visit of EPS's port in Kostolac.
The port was built as one of five projects within the first phase of loan arrangement between Serbia and China.
- EPS is successfully implementing a project in Kostolac B TPP, developed with friends from China. In phase one, we have already realized 338 million dollars through the modernization of Units B1 and B2 in Kostolac B TPP, the construction of desulphurization plants and related projects, out of which the port is one of the most important – said Mr. Antić.
157,000 tons of ash and 105,000 tons of gypsum, which is a by-product of the desulphurization system in thermal power plant Kostolac B, will be shipped annually from the docks in Kostolac, and limestone will be delivered. The entire project was implemented in accordance with the highest technological and environmental European and global standards.
Mr. Antić specifically highlighted that Serbian companies were employed for the port construction and added that everything that would be necessary for the construction of Unit B3 would arrive at the port, thus accelerating the construction.
- Both EPS Management and myself will now focus on the construction of Kostolac B3, since this is important for long-term stability of the Serbian power system – said Mr. Antić.
Mr. Milorad Grčić, PE EPS Acting Director pointed out that the construction of the port at Kostolac was one of the most difficult endeavors since the construction was located on the river that often changes its water level during the year and he added that this is the first of such three projects that would be implemented by EPS, since the construction of the ports at TENT A and TENT B has been planned.
- 15.8 million dollars were invested in the port construction and will be used exclusively for EPS needs. This project is one of many such projects that shows that EPS is taking big steps forward - said Mr. Grčić.
He added that the important thing for EPS was that the new port would enable a small amount of coal with high calorific value to be transported from Kostolac to Nikola Tesla TPP and announced that this transport would start in a month and a half at the most.
Mr. Grčić congratulated the miners of Drmno and Kolubara on managing to increase coal production by 10 percent from 1st February to 1st April, which means that – at an annual level - three percent more coal was produced in the first quarter than in the same period in 2018.
The port in Kostolac covers 5.7 hectares, out of which 2.6 hectares are water surface.
