Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Djedovic, has announced the completion of the new B3 unit at the Kostolac B thermal power plant, a significant milestone for Serbia’s energy sector. The new 350 MW unit, which is the first major production capacity built in the country in nearly 35 years, will be handed over to the state-owned power utility EPS within the next two weeks.
Minister Djedovic confirmed that all construction work on the unit has been completed, and trial operations and warranty testing have been successfully carried out. The final phase of the project involves aligning the necessary documentation, with EPS set to take operational control of the unit shortly.
The Kostolac B3 unit is expected to play a critical role in enhancing Serbia’s energy security, providing an additional 2.5 TWh of electricity per year, which represents 5% of EPS’s total production capacity. The unit will rely on coal from the nearby Drmno mine, requiring approximately 3 million tons of coal annually for its operation.
The project, which has cost around $618 million, is part of the second phase of a credit agreement between Serbia and China signed in 2012. The agreement also includes the expansion of the Drmno coal mine, increasing its capacity from 9 to 12 million tons of coal per year.
Minister Djedovic emphasized the strategic importance of the new unit, noting that its commissioning will help secure Serbia’s energy needs for both the upcoming winter and the long term.
