Bosnian state-owned power utility ERS is export oriented, but 75 % of electricity in the Republic of Srpska (RS) is produced in coal-fired thermal power plants, which shows that the price of electricity would sharply increase if taxes on carbon dioxide emissions were introduced, as in the EU.
According to official data, almost 7,400 GWh of electricity were produced in RS last year, while exports surpass domestic consumption. About 3,600 GWh were exported, while the final consumption in RS was about 3,500 GWh.
Director of ERS Luka Petrovic said that the largest consumers of electricity in RS are households, which last year participated in consumption with 51 %. He noted that a great energy crisis will follow in the next few years, and whoever does not have renewable energy capacities and the possibility of exporting electricity will be in big trouble. The states will have to come to the aid of such energy companies, otherwise they will end up bankrupt.
Petrovic said that the Energy Community expects that power utilities in the Balkans should introduce taxes for carbon dioxide emissions, which primarily refers to coal-fired TPPs, emphasizing that those fees are now enormously high in the EU. ERS’ position is that it wants to introduce those taxes, but at the same time it wants aid in the realization of renewable energy projects, because the company does not have access to any grants, funds or favorable credit lines. ERS is not ready, either financially or technically, to pay those taxes, without having any help in developing green energy projects, Petrovic emphasized.
He points out that the power utilities in the region have already withdrawn huge funds for the implementation of RES projects and for the revitalization of existing power plants and that they are more competitive than ERS, and that without help, at least on the level as Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary had, carbon taxes cannot be introduced.
