There is no doubt that Serbia is facing a very difficult winter in the energy sector. Even firewood and pellets, energy sources that Serbia has in abundance, have risen significantly in price, and high prices are also recorded for oil and coal. Only electricity and gas, which are under state control, hold the old price. This is maintained with the support of the budget, last year guarantees of EUR 200 million were given for borrowing by Srbijagas.
EPS is also in deep financial trouble because it artificially keeps the price low for both households and the economy. That is why it is certain that the new convocation of the parliament will have to approve state guarantees for EPS borrowing (as well as new Srbijagas borrowing) among the first tasks. This was confirmed by President Vučić, adding that at least one billion euros will have to be set aside for energy. But even the state injection to EPS is not a guarantee that we will have enough electricity over the winter. At the same time, since there are also problems with electricity production in Europe, it is uncertain whether it will be possible to import electricity that will be lacking at critical moments.
EPS LACKS NOT ONLY COAL, BUT ALSO WATER
It wasn't just a problem to secure funds for the investment, but it also required a certain amount of time to start digging coal at the new mine, and during that time there won't be enough coal for the regular operation of the thermal power plants, and that's why production has to drop for a while. This is exactly what is happening now, production is reduced until the new mine is activated. The reluctance to listen to the profession came, in accordance with the proverb "where it's thin, it's broken", at a time when the price of electricity in Europe was at a record high. According to Minister Zorana Mihajlović, more than 500 million euros have been paid for the import of electricity so far, and this is not the final amount since electricity is still being imported.
It takes time to get coal from new deposits, so by the end of the next heating season, Kolubara will not be able to provide enough coal. Currently, around 60.000 tons of coal are mined in Kolubara per day, and according to announcements from EPS, production will increase to around 80.000 tons from autumn. In order to work during the winter, at the time of peak electricity consumption, it is necessary to provide as much as 100.000 tons per day for TENT-A and TENT-B in Obrenovac. At the same time, the Obrenovac power plants will meet the winter without enough coal in the landfills (under regular circumstances, during the summer, the excess coal that is mined, but not consumed, is deposited for cold winter days).
You can read the entire text in the new issue of "Vremena", which was published on June 23, 2022.
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