Regular annual overhaul at Gacko Mine and Thermal Power Plant to last 50 days and cost EUR 5 million

Regular annual overhaul is underway at the Gacko Mine and Thermal Power Plant, which will cost around EUR 10 million. It will last 50 days, which is the time it takes to eliminate all the detected deficiencies. The advantage is that last year a high-quality overhaul of the plant and equipment was carried out.

Expert teams from Gacko and Serbia are working intensively on all positions of the plant and equipment, which are defined by the instructions for the maintenance of the unit. The work is in the first phase, which is the opening and troubleshooting of all plants and facilities.

– Based on these troubleshooting findings, repairs are carried out within the available time for the overhaul – says Dragan Pusara, the head of the overhaul.

So far, there are no major deficiencies in the plants, although the unit has been in operation for almost four and a half decades. The Gacko Thermal Power Plant has been operating continuously for more than three and a half months, exceeding the production plan and being a pillar of the domestic system. The effect of the work was reduced by the jump in the price of petroleum products, which led to a significant increase in costs.

– The jump in the price of petroleum products, which are used to a considerable extent in the Gacko Mine and Thermal Power Plant, on the world market, has led to a situation where profit is not at the planned level, although we have been in the red, after all, like the previous two years – emphasizes the acting director of the Gacko Mine and Thermal Power Plant, Maksim Skoko.

Overhaul works are also ongoing on the facilities in the mine and coal supply. There will be no major investments this year, claims Skoko.

– For some time, work will only be done on removing the overburden and securing coal, and the second half of the overhaul will be spent on supplying coal – he adds.

Although the Gacko Thermal Power Plant will not be operating for less than two months, there will be no shortage of electricity.

– The population need not worry, we either buy all the missing quantities on the market or use the Bileca Lake reservoir – emphasizes Ivan Koprivica, Executive Director for Technical Affairs of the Electric Power Company of the Republic of Srpska.

As of June 19, the production plan, except for the Gacko Mine and Thermal Power Plant, was transferred to Hydroelectric Power Plants on the Trebisnjica and Hydroelectric Power Plants on the Drina. Continued production at the Ugljevik Mine and Thermal Power Plant is not certain, given that extensive works on removing the overburden at the open pit mine Istok 2 are still to come.

Gacko Mine and Thermal Power Plant

Gacko Thermal Power Plant

ERS

Dragan Pušara

Maksim Skoko

Ivan Koprivica

overhaul of Gacko Thermal Power Plant

overhaul of equipment at Gacko Mine and Thermal Power Plant