Ten days ago, the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure rejected, for the fourth time, EPS’s request for a use permit for the wet electrostatic filter section of the Kostolac B3 thermal power plant, according to Forbes Serbia.
Despite the Law on Planning and Construction requiring such a permit before starting operations, EPS claims that the facility is already in operation and has a positive technical inspection report confirming its suitability for use.
On June 11, the Ministry officially rejected EPS’s application for the use permit, stating the submission was incomplete. This marks the fourth unsuccessful attempt by EPS since November 2024 to obtain the permit.
Previously, EPS had the request rejected in June 2025 but submitted a corrected application within the legal 30-day period. However, the Ministry again found the application incomplete, citing multiple deficiencies, including discrepancies in technical inspection documents and unclear changes in project documentation.
Specifically, the Ministry highlighted that earlier accurate documents regarding the constructed building project (PIO) were altered to incorrect statements concerning the project for construction (PZI), raising concerns.
According to Article 158 of the current Law on Planning and Construction, a building can only be used after obtaining a use permit, even if the construction permit was issued earlier (the construction permit for this facility dates back to 2018). Thus, the wet electrostatic filter should not yet be operational without the permit.
Nonetheless, EPS confirms the wet electrostatic filter is already operational, emphasizing it as a modern and efficient environmental protection system designed to reduce fly ash emissions.
The project dates back to a 2010 framework agreement with Chinese company CMEC. Construction of the new Kostolac B3 unit began in 2017, with an original completion target in 2020, which was delayed several times. The block entered trial operation in fall 2024 and officially received a use permit at the end of June 2025.
The construction was financed by a loan of 608.3 million dollars from the Chinese EXIM Bank, with the total project cost estimated at 715.6 million dollars. The project also included the expansion of the Drmno surface coal mine, which supplies the power plant.
