Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, held a meeting with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Serbia, Li Ming. During the discussion, the Minister highlighted the completion of the new thermoblock at the Kostolac thermal power plant and announced that EPS (Electric Power Industry of Serbia) would take over the facility within the next two weeks. “All works have been completed, trial operations and warranty tests have been successfully conducted. The final step is the harmonization of documentation, and we expect that in the next two weeks, the new unit will be handed over to EPS. This project is of strategic importance to us, as the commissioning of the new Block B3, with a capacity of 350 MW, will enhance energy security not only this winter but in the years to come,” said Minister Đedović Handanović, as stated in the Ministry’s announcement.
The meeting also explored other potential projects involving Chinese companies, such as a solar panel manufacturing plant and the construction of a hybrid power plant that would combine wind farms, solar power, and green hydrogen production facilities. These projects would be developed in cooperation with the company “Srbija Zijin Copper” and “Shanghai Fengling Renewables.”
Additionally, the development of advanced compressed air energy storage technology, which was pioneered by Chinese companies more than a decade ago, was discussed. A Memorandum of Understanding for this technology was recently signed with “China Energy International Group.”
Ambassador Li Ming emphasized the importance of the Kostolac B3 construction project, calling it a significant achievement in the cooperation between China and Serbia, particularly in the energy sector, which was further cemented during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Serbia earlier this year.
