Through a project worth 40.5 million euros, ten towns and municipalities will switch to the use of renewable energy sources in their district heating systems.
Within the project, which is carried out with the financial support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Austria and Switzerland, ten local self-government units have been selected for taking part in the program: Becej, Bogatic, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Krusevac, Nis, Novi Pazar, Pancevo, Paracin and Vrsac.
The Ministry of Mining and Energy said that the estimated value of the first phase of the project is 40.5 million euros, and the signing of financial agreements is expected soon.
Minister Dubravka Djedovic said that, with this project, Serbia is continuing the implementation of renewable energy sources in the sector of district heating, which was successfully started by the construction of biomass heating plants, three of which were already put into operation, while the works on the fourth one are to begin soon. The new investments will enable citizens to have reliable and quality heating and the heating plants to function more efficiently, to use green energy and to at the same time preserve the environment.
After the realized investments, the heating plants in ten selected local self-governments will produce around 115 GWh of heating energy from RES, and the total quantity of the heating energy produced from RES in Serbia will increase from the current 95 GWh to 210 GWh.
The consumption of primary energy will reduce by an additional 61 GWh through the implementation of energy efficiency measures, and the project will also contribute to improving environmental protection, through reducing the annual emission of CO2 by 14,600 tons.
