EPS announces tender for construction of new Pestan riverbed and new road with bridges and navigation lock – Work necessary to protect open-pit mine worth almost 1.8 billion dinars

Further development of coal exploitation in the Kolubara coal basin requires the expansion of exploitation capacities and the opening of new open-pit mines, so it has been known for some time that Elektroprivreda Srbije is planning to build the Rudovci dam and retention pond near Lazarevac. As EPS has previously pointed out, the Pestan River flows through the Kolubara lignite basin in its lower course and this watercourse flows over the planned exploitation fields, which is why, in order to protect the future mine from flooding, works are planned to protect the mine.

During 2007, the General Project for the Regulation of the Pestan River and the Control of Floodwater Runoff was prepared, and this project was revised and accepted by the Republic Revision Commission. Within this project, the concept of regulating the Pestan River and controlling its flood waters has been defined, in order to protect the open pit mines of the Kolubara basin. A system consisting of facilities providing active and passive flood protection measures has been envisaged for the regulation of the Pestan River.

In accordance with all this, EPS has announced a tender for the second phase of regulating the Pestan River, which includes the construction of a relocated riverbed (Southern Peripheral Canal) and a relocated section of the Vreoci-Barosevac local road with two bridges and a navigation lock for the heating and water supply systems.

As stated in the tender, the system for regulating the Pestan River and controlling the flow of flood waters (Phase II) consists of five dams and retentions on the Pestan River and its tributaries and the southern peripheral canal.

– The Rudovci and Krusevica dams and retentions on the Pestan River, and the Trbusnica, Bistrica and Darosavica dams and retentions on the watercourses of the same name, tributaries of the Pestan River, are envisaged. The southern peripheral channel represents the regulated bed of the Pestan River along the southern border of the Field E open-pit mine. The retention areas formed by the construction of dams are dimensioned to accommodate flood waves of the centuries-old high waters of the basin they control – the tender indicates.

The construction of this system should ensure the protection of the Field E open-pit mine against the high water.

The deadline for the execution of all contracted works, as stated, cannot be shorter than 22 months, nor longer than 30 months from the date of the contractor’s possession of the site.

The value of the tender is approximately 1.7 billion dinars.

Bids can be submitted until June 12.

More details (in Serbian) can be found HERE.

Elektroprivreda Srbije ad Beograd

Elektroprivreda Srbije

RB Kolubara

Kolubara Mining Basin

construction of Rudovci dam and retention pond

Peštan River

Rudovci dam and retention pond Lazarevac

open pit mine Field E