Imported coal increases electricity production 2.5 times

Electricity producer Elektroprivreda Srbije cannot provide enough coal for the upcoming winter season to produce electricity from its own mines and it is forced to import it from the region.

As Demostat says in the analysis, this is a much more favorable option than importing electricity in the winter period when it is the most expensive.

However, this also costs, so electricity produced from imported coal will be 2-2.5 times more expensive than if only coal from surface mines owned by EPS was used.

„According to experts, irresponsible management, which is why the terrain at Kolubara mines was not prepared in a timely manner for coal mining, during the period when EPS’s director was Milorad Grcic, who in the meantime resigned, will cost the company between 280 and 300 million euros, which is the amount EPS will be forced to pay for the import of coal it lacks for electricity production during the next two winter seasons,“ Demostat said.

Import is necessary

In Kolubara, 80,000 tons of coal should be mined per day by the end of the summer, but that is insufficient, which is why import is necessary.

On average, 1.6 million tons of coal are necessary for the production of one megawatt of electricity, which is why 300,000 tons were imported from Pljevalje in Montenegro and 100,000 from Banovici in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This coal is of better quality than that produced in EPS surface mines, and importing coal from Kosovo is also considered, as well as from Romania and Bulgaria, but the problem in this case is transport, which increases import costs, according to Demostat.

Izvor: 021

Foto: Beta