ANTIC: Everything prepared for the heating season

Everything has been prepared for the heating season, all the heating plants have carried out the necessary repairs and there no problems regarding energy sources, Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic said on Sunday, September 24, 2017.

He said that the situation in Serbia regarding the preparedness for the upcoming winter was very good, that heating tests would start shortly and that, in case temperatures dropped below 12 degrees, the heating plants would start providing heating before October 15.

Antic said for TV Pink that his ministry’s priorities were to turn to renewable sources and save energy.

– A number of heating plants in Serbia are switching to biomass, primarily the gas-powered ones. There is plentiful biomass in eastern and southern Serbia, which fits into the goals regarding renewable energy sources and switching from fossil fuels to renewable sources – Antic said.

The minister adds that ambitious goals have been set when it comes to energy efficiency and that the plan is to have 9% less of consumption of final energy in 2018 compared to 2010.

He added that he had discussed the formation of a big fund for energy efficiency, which would be supported by IPA funds, with his colleagues from the Ministry of European Integration and the Ministry of Finance.

Antic explained that renewable energy sources were wind, solar power, biomass, geothermal sources and hydropower and that trendy solar and wind farms shouldn’t be insisted on, but that the advantages the country already has should be used.

The minister said that the construction of TPP Kostolac was going according to plan and pointed out that it was the first big energy facility to be built in Serbia since 1991. He also said that new 600 MW of power in Serbia originated in RES, and 250 MW in thermal power plants, showing a considerable change.

Antic pointed out that over EUR 200 million had been invested in environmental project until then and that around EUR 900 million more should be invested before 2025, so that all thermal power plants could operate in line with the standards.

The minister emphasizes that, for now, the privatization of the biggest facilities in the power segment is out of the question.

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Ministry of Mining and Energy

Aleksandar Antic

heating season

renewable energy sources

energy efficiency

fund for energy efficiency

biomass

wind farms

solar farms

geothermal energy

TPP Kostolac