Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic said that state-owned power utility EPS is considering the construction of a 100 MW solar power plant.
Minister Antic said that EPS is planning to build a small-scale solar power plant of up to 10 MW of installed capacity first, followed by a large-scale project of a 100 MW solar power plant in Kostolac. He stressed that EPS needs to invest in renewable energy in order to diversify its production portfolio, thus improving the country’s energy mix which is too reliant on coal-based energy.
EPS said earlier that it is developing renewable energy projects and preparation of a construction of a wind farm in Kostolac has been in progress. The wind farm will be built at four locations on closed pit mines and landfills of Kostolac thermal power complex. It will have power output of 66 MW, with projected annual electricity generation of 150 million kWh, enough to cover the needs of some 30,000 consumers. The investment is worth 97 million euros, of which 80 million euros will be provided through a loan from KfW Bank. It is planned that the construction of Kostolac wind farm should start in 2019 and it should be put in operation a year later.
In August, EPS launched an international tender for the procurement of works, equipment and other services for the construction of its first wind farm. The tender is divided into two lots. The first one includes the procurement and installation of 20 wind turbines with combined power output of 66 MW and the construction of adjoining 35/110 kV substation and administrative buildings. The second one pertains to the construction of internal roads and connection to state road network. The deadline for the submission of bids is 1 October.
The project for the photovoltaic power plant envisages the construction of 100 MW solar park at the ash landfill of thermal power plants Kostolac A and Kostolac B and the project is currently under consideration. The landfill has an area of 270 hectares, while production of solar power plants would total to 97.2 million kWh per year.
