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- Energy security has become one of the
key challenges of modern times - said Dušan Živković, General Manager of EPS in
the RTS Morning News, and noted the consequences of implementing the European
Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which additionally burdens
the operations of the power companies in the region.
- The CBAM tax has brought additional
challenges because there are no exports of electricity to the European Union.
In recent years, these exports have been approximately 1,000 gigawatt-hour on
average, which costs about EUR 150 million. On the other hand, implementation
of the local law on emissions means that EPS, as the largest emitter, will be
obliged to pay EUR 100 million to the state budget - Živković said.
Despite this, the head of EPS emphasizes
that investments are not endangered, that projects are being implemented
according to the planned dynamics.
- The largest investments are planned in
the Mining Basin Kolubara, where the greatest installation of equipment in the
history of the basin is ongoing. Almost 10 new machines will be in the mines,
and the spreader is already on site. In mid-July, a new excavator will be
joined to it. For all these investments, EUR 450 million will be spent, being
the own funds - Živković said.
He added that the situation with coal
production is stable, and that the quality of coal is an objective circumstance
that the company has to work with. Last year, as he reminded, 10 million tons
of coal were produced in Kostolac, which is the highest historic production.
Živković also pointed out that EPS is
working on optimizing its portfolio by using the Pumped-Storage Hydro Power
Plant Bajina Bašta, which has been rehabilitated after forty years.
- For further development of renewable
energy sources, we need additional production capacities that will primarily
enable balancing. Serbia currently has approximately 1,400 megawatts of wind
and solar capacities connected to the grid, and the refurbished PSHPP Bajina Bašta
enables their stable inclusion in the system. Security is also maintained by
storing electricity, i.e. primarily by buying at low-cost, solar hours, when
the price reaches zero or even is negative - said the General Manager of EPS.
He added that construction of PSHPP
Djerdap 3 should respond to several requirements at the same time – from
decarbonization and development of renewable sources to the stability of the
power system. The project of the Pumped-Storage Hydro Power Plant Bistrica is
being developed in parallel.
- The project for construction of the PSHPP
Bistrica is in an advanced stage of preparation. Expropriation procedures,
preparation of technical documents and preparation of tenders for relocation of
infrastructure and other accompanying works are underway. The plan is to start
pre-works on the relocation of infrastructure this year, and to have a contract
on the construction and financing of the project in the middle of the next year
- Živković said.
