Renovation of B1 unit in Kostolac Thermal Power Stations and Strip Mines begins March 1

(Photo: te-ko.rs)

Renovation of the B1 unit in Kostolac Thermal Power Stations and Strip Mines (TE-KO Kostolac) will commence March 1st, as part of the first phase of credit arrangment that Serbia has signed with the Republic of China. Fifty engineers from China have already arrived in Serbia and now work with their colleagues from TE-KO Kostolac on necessary preparations.

Aside from the renovation of B1 unit, the first phase of credit arrangement also includes the construction of new, modern desulfurization system, dock on the Danube, and an industrial railway track. So far, the first phase has seen the completion of revitalization of B2 unit in which USD 64.6 million was invested. The same work on B1 unit will cost USD 111.6 million, the costs of dock construction will reach USD 21.9 million, while the construction of railway tracks will require an investment of USD 15.6 million. The plan is to finish the revitalization of B1 unit by December 2014.

- All the necessary equipment and materials are coming from China on ships to Rijeka, whence they are transported to our thermal power plant. We will be working 24 hours a day to meet the agreed deadlines - said people at TE -KO Kostolac.

The contractor for the revitalization of aforementioned two units and the construction of desulfurization system is China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) from Beijing which brought subcontractors from China. The other two projects in this phase - dock and industrial railway track - will be entrusted to local companies. The second phase of the credit arrangement - construction of the new unit TE Kostolac B with a capacity of 350 MW, should start by the year's end at the latest and end by 2019.