A 210 MW generating unit at Serbia’s Kostolac A thermal power plant remains out of service following a fire that extensively damaged a regenerative air heater. The incident has kept the Kostolac A2 unit unavailable for generation since it occurred.
EPS launches urgent procurement for Kostolac A2 repairs
State-owned utility EPS has opened an urgent procurement procedure for replacement equipment and repairs required to return unit A2 to operation. EPS released procurement documents on 9 August, detailing the scope of the damage.
Fire timing and inspection findings
The fire broke out on 31 July while the unit was being restarted following scheduled maintenance. EPS said an inspection found that about half of the heater’s internal filling had been completely destroyed.
Extent of damage to air-heater components
The incident also damaged sector plates, sealing components, radial partitions, the support structure and parts of the geared ring. EPS stated that the fire developed inside the air-heater housing during the planned restart and could not reasonably have been foreseen or prevented.
Impact on electricity supply during the current period
With unit A2 still offline, EPS said it can meet roughly 4.5% of Serbia’s maximum electricity demand during the current period. The utility added that this share would increase system impact if the outage is prolonged.
