Minister of Energy and Mining of the Republic of Srpska (RS) Petar Djokic said that the Government did not make a decision on the closure of any coal-fired thermal power plant, adding that the price of electricity for residential consumers will not be increased in 2022, despite the ongoing energy crisis.
Minister Djokic acknowledged that ERS operated coal-fired thermal power plants are more than 40 years old and that significant funds are needed for their ongoing maintenance and upgrades. Therefore, the Government has decided to continue investing in these electricity generation capacities as they produce base energy, essential for the stability and security of electricity system in the Republic of Srpska.
However, RS has entered the decarbonization process and will invest more and more in renewable energy projects. According to him, RS will introduce more than 700 MW in new RES capacity in the next five years. These include wind and solar projects, but also hydropower plants: 159 MW HPP Dabar, 100 MW Buk Bijela, 35 MW HPP Bistrica, 37 MW HPP Ulog and several smaller hydro projects.
He added that there is high interest for awarding new concessions for renewable energy projects, which could reach up to additional 750 MW.
