The Minister of Mining and Energy, Zorana Mihajlovic, stated today in Priboj, where a new biomass heating plant started operating, that the goal of the state is to increase the energy efficiency of the heating plant and the use of fuels that do not affect the health of the environment.
“I am glad to be able to say today that two cities in Serbia, Priboj and Mali Zvornik, have heating plants that use biomass. I am proud because everything was done on time, there were no delays. This is important for all citizens, not only because it is about energy self-sufficiency, since the heating plants will use local wood chips as fuel, but also due to the fact that they will have heating for 24 hours,” said Mihajlovic, her office announced.
She added that the environmental picture is also important, because the protection of the environment will be different from now on.
“For Priboj, that means more than 90 percent less sulfur dioxide and about 90 percent less carbon dioxide, which is important for a city that has had a problem with air quality for years,” the minister stated.
In Serbia, as she reminded, 10 heating plants use coal, and 10 fuel oil.
“We have to change that, to switch to renewable energy sources (RES). In addition to Priboj and Mali Zvornik, where the heating plants were put into operation today, we expect a heating plant in Majdanpek and Novi Pazar next year,” said Mihajlovic.
The director of the office of the German development bank KfW in Belgrade, Rudiger Hartmann, said that the green agenda and the use of RES are in the focus of cooperation with Serbia, and that new, joint projects worth 300 million euros are being discussed.
“We are long-term partners and we are privileged to have a role in improving all economic and environmental standards. The energy sector is key in our cooperation. The projects we are working on together are worth 1.5 billion euros,” he said.
Mihajlovic announced that the construction of the Zlatibor-Nova Varos-Priboj-Prijepolje gas pipeline will most likely begin in February next year, and that the works will be completed in a year.
40 million euros will be invested in that 80-kilometer-long gas pipeline.
Mihajlovic reiterated that the prices of electricity, heat and gas for households will not change.
“When it comes to industry, we will talk about it together, but at the moment the most important thing is that prices for households will not change and that we will have enough energy,” the minister said.
She added that, when the analysis is done in April, it will be seen whether energy sources in Serbia could have been cheaper and that the state has lower costs in the energy crisis.
“I think we could have done better, especially if we keep in mind that EPS had to plan repairs better and more efficiently, and Srbijagas had to start negotiations with Gazprom on a new long-term contract earlier. We will certainly know more after the meeting between Presidents Vucic and Putin,” said Mihajlovic.
She pointed out that Serbia, regardless of the current crisis, must increase the capacities used by RES, primarily large hydroelectric power plants, gas power plants, solar and wind power plants, because the goal of the state is to have enough energy and a healthy environment, Novi Magazin reports.
