In the first quarter of 2021, Serbian state-owned power utility – EPS’ revenues from electricity sales on the foreign markets, reached 74 million euros, said acting Director of EPS Milorad Grcic. Grcic said that 1.4 TWh of electricity was sold on exchanges between 1 January and 6 April 2021, which is three times more compared to the same period in 2020, mostly due to excellent hydrological situation this year.
Hydropower plants operated by EPS produced 4 TW of electricity in this period, which 50 % more than in 2020 and 27 % more than in 2019. Coal production is on the planned level and stable operation of coal-fired thermal power plants enabled the production of 11 TWh of electricity since the beginning of the year, which is 9 % more than in the same period in 2020 and 6 % more than in 2019. Grcic noted that in 2020, which was very difficult year, EPS achieved four times higher profit than planned – 137 million euros and fulfilled all production plans.
Total electricity production in 2020 was 2 % higher than in 2019. EPS power plants operated stably and in 2020 produced slightly more than 34 TWh of electricity. A total of 39 million tons of coal was produced at the open pit mines of the Kolubara basin and Drmno coalmine near Kostolac
EPS continued investing, and during 2020 it realized investments worth a total of more than 320 million euros, of which 100 million euros were invested in environmental protection projects. The construction of new, 350 MW unit B3 at coal-fired thermal power plant Kostolac is currently ongoing, while the project for the installation of desulfurization system at TPP Nikola Tesla A was successfully completed, with similar project, worth 210 million euros, starting at TPP Nikola Tesla B. These systems will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by about 20 times
Grcic said that a series of already started investments will continue in 2021, and completely new projects will start soon. The goal is to improve the existing thermal power plants, hydropower plants, mining machinery, and a special challenge is to open modern mines and build new “green” power plants.
