Bad hydrological situation, caused by drought, has had negative effect on many economic branches, especially the traffic along the Danube and autumn sowing works in agriculture. The regional power-supply industries have also suffered damage, as due to the low water level in the rivers, the power plants worked at their minimum capacity. These days, the situation is somewhat better, and the forecasts for the next three weeks are encouraging. The Serbian Power Corporation is working at its full capacity and producing enough electricity for the national demand. Jelena Milenkovic has more on the subject.
The whole region has been struck by drought and electricity shortage, and the import is only possible from Bulgaria, which has nuclear plants. In Serbia, however, there is no need for worry, since sufficient electricity supply has been provided, and the announced rainfall in the forthcoming weeks indicate that the critical period is behind us. The authorities do advise rational consumption, especially during the holidays, because that is when the load on the power supply grid is the biggest.
The situation in Serbia is much better than one month ago, owing to the improving hydrological situation and warmer weather. Enough electricity has been provided for December, and the public procurement for January is under way, said PR of the Serbian Power Corporation Momcilo Cebalovic, adding that the imports will be cut in half. Namely, because of drought the national corporation is importing 14-18 million kWh on a daily basis. The production in hydro power plants is still under the expected, so the burden in the past period was on the thermal plants, which are working at the full capacity. They are producing approximately 84 million kWh, while one moth ago the production was 15% higher. According to Cebalovic, the coal has saved the situation in the field of power supply, along with the production based on gas and the imports.
For the needs of consumers in Serbia, some 800 megawatts are working in the region, and it is expected that in January the import will be halved, on the account of larger volume of rainfall and better hydrological situation. The daily production in hydro power plants is around 15 million kWh, which is still under the envisaged level. The plants that produce the electricity from gas, in Novi Sad, Zrenjanin and Sremska Mitrovica, are making some 1.5 million kWh daily, but in November their production was four times bigger.
The drought has inflicted great financial damage to the Serbian Power Corporation, sine in November and December the imports of electricity exceeded the plan by 600 million kWh, and the imported electricity is three times more expensive. Besides that, the transport along the Sava and Danube rivers was made harder because of the lower water level, so the crude oil was transported via roads, thus raising the expenses. In 2011 the hydro power plants will produce 25% less electricity than the last year, which will in turn diminish the income of the Serbian Power Corporation for some 165 million euro, specified Cebalovic.
Source EPS
