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• |Serbia
• |Energy Sources

Electricity

Structure of Power Sector

[ Electric power industry of Serbia ]

Table: Structure of Electric Energy Generation and Transmission

[ Electric power industry of Serbia ]

Elecricity Balance (Serbia and Montenegro) 2009

A separate electricity balance for the Republic of Serbia was not yet available.

Electricity Grid

Electric energy transmission is carried out on 400, 220 and 110 kV voltage levels.

Long Distance Power Lines

Total length of power lines of different voltage levels is approximately 10.000 kilometres, with the part thereof in the length of 1.035.5 km, located in Kosovo and under temporary UN administration.

Substations and Hi-Voltage Trunks in Serbian electricity grid

[ Electric power industry of Serbia ]

A precise view of transmission system could be obtained by EMS – Serbian Transmission System Operator.

Assessment, Development, Goals

After ten years of isolation and war, the Serbian electricity sector was characterised by depressed electricity prices, rising consumption, ageing and damaged assets, limited access to imported equipment and financial constraints. The low tariffs (below €¢1/kWh) distorted demand, encouraging electricity use for heating. Generation was inadequate to meet domestic needs, especially during winter peaks.

The basic development objectives of Public Enterprise Electric Power Industry of Serbia in the period 2002-2006 are:

• Reduction of electricity deficit, in order to continuously meet the consumption in Serbia without systematic import
• Rapid economic and financial consolidation and transition to positive business activities
• Better cooperation with the European electric power industries and more greater role in the regional electricity market
• Implementation of priority measures and establishment of a new relation in terms of environmental protection

The most important assumptions for realization of the aforesaid objectives are:

• Growth of electricity prices, in order to enable business activities without losses as soon as possible,
• Regulation of relations between Serbia and international financial institutions and creditors,
• Reforms in the electric power sector which will, by making changes in the organizational and subsequently ownership structure and by introducing market elements, lead to more efficient business activities.

The strategic activities for achieving the set goals and the basic development trends of EPS are:

• Rationalization of electricity consumption,
• Improved maintenance, recovery, revitalization and modernization of existing facilities,
• Replacement of lignite mines where reserves are almost exhausted,
• Completion of generating facilities under construction and commencement of construction of new facilities, as well as construction of transmission facilities,
• Reduction of electricity losses in distribution,
• Restructuring and operation and business improvement, respectively,
• More efficient utilization of own resources in order to start profitable activities, which are not included in EPS’s basic task content (e.g. telecommunications).

Forecast of consumption growth and possibilities of meeting it

In the period from 2001 to 2010, the average annual growth rate of total electricity consumption in Serbia without Kosovo and Metohija is expected to be around 1.2 percent and that of peak capacity is expected to be around 0.8 percent. A comparatively steady growth of electricity consumption in industry of around 4.3 percent annually and a slight decline of low voltage consumption of around 0.2 percent annually will lead to a reduction of uncontrolled consumption. Gross electricity consumption will reach 33260 GWh in 2006, and peak capacity will reach 6363 MW. In 2010, the consumption will be 34,950GWh, and the peak capacity will be 6,626MW.

Long-term agreed electricity deliveries to other systems include 1,065 GWh annually to the Electric Power Industry of Montenegro, in exchange for using HPP Piva (with an expected generation of 760 GWh) in the electric power system of EPS. Energy consumption for pumping water in reversible and pump-storage plants is around 1,100 GWh annually.

Under such conditions and measures, along with investment activities given in the following, which assumes improved state and revitalization, an energy and capacity deficit, namely energy deficit between 3,600 and 1600 GWh annually can be expected up to the year 2006, under average hydrology conditions (in dry years it is considerably higher). It is only after the commissioning of the second block in TPP Kolubara B (or a possible alternative) that EPS can expect to cover the consumption in the Republic of Serbia from its own resources.

Until then, the deficit must be covered through imports of electricity.

The total investment requirements of the Electric Power Industry in the following five years are estimated to be around 2.4 billion US Dollars. A significant part of investments must be provided by EPS from its internal sources. Higher prices and positive business management of EPS is an inevitable requirement for providing any other form of investment. This assumes the following:

• Donations, in a smaller amount,
• Loans provided by international institutions and other creditors,
• Direct foreign investments.

Heat

District Heating in Serbia

• 52 towns
• Installed capacity 6.600 MWt (40 % in capital city of Belgrade)
• Average age:
  • Boilers 28.1 years
  • Network 20.6 years
  • Substation 20.5 years
• Average P/A delivery - 5300 GWt
  • 17% households (400,000 apartments)
• Average consumption P/A 550,000 toe
  • 65% natural gas, 18% heavy fuel oil, 2% electricity, 15% coal
  • Biomass 0%
  • Solid waste 0%
• No cogeneration – CHP (except Belgrade 3x32 MW)

More detailed table:

[ Ministry of Mining and Energy ]

[ Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency ]

Oil and Natural Gas

Public enterprises: NIS a.d., Transnafta, FAM d.o.o. Krusevac, Rafinerija nafte Beograd d.o.o.

Private and international: Lukoil-Beopetrol a.d., EKO Yu, OMV, Nafta a.d., Petrobart-Avia, Trizon Group, MOL, Oktanoil, Chemol, Bell Chemical and others.

Research and production of oil, gas and geothermal energy is strictly carried out within the public enterprise NIS - Naftagas, on of the four branches of Naftna Industrija Srbije a.d., Novi Sad (Oil Industry of Serbia).

Production of the oil derivatives: NIS – Refinery Pancevo and NIS – Refinery Novi Sad. Cumulative capacity of both refineries is total 7,3 millions tons of primaries processing P/A with corresponding secondary capacities. Existing complementary and compatible production structure builds complete technological complex.

In addition there is extensive and developed sale network throughout Serbia. It comprise wholesale and retail sale of derivatives, motor oils lubricants and gas.

Oil transportation goes via pipeline –Janaf – Omisalj, Croatia to Pancevo and Novi Sad refineries. Alternatively oil and derivative transport is done by river tankers via rivers Danube and Sava.

Coal and Lignite

Production of coal, used as basic fuel in thermal power plants of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia, takes place at open-pit mines of the mining basins of Kolubara and Kostolac.

The coal from open-pit mines is lignite, having an average calorific value of 7 500kJ/kg.

Open-pit mines at the Kolubara basins, which produce around 75 percent of lignite in Serbia supply TPP Kolubara, TPP Nikola Tesla and TPP Morava.

In the Kostolac basin, supplying TPP Kostolac, an amount of 25 percent of lignite in Serbia is produced.

In 2004, an amount of 33.653.183 tons, was produced in the two basins, which exceeded the balance by 1 percent:

• Economic Association for Coal Production Processing and Transport MB "Kolubara" plc produced 27.1 Mtons
• Economic Association Thermal Power Plants and Mines "Kostolac" plc produced 6.49 Mtons

The total production of overburden in both basins amounted to 90.461.413 m3 mass type.

Renewable Energy

The production from renewable energy sources is not yet under the regulative, so there is an absence of feed-in tariffs and similar mechanism and instruments that subvene the favourable sources of energy.

But, the National Implementation Program of Strategy for the development of energy sector up to 2015 has been ratified by the Parliament at the beginning of 2007. The National Assembly of The Republic of Serbia has adopted the "Program for the implementation of Strategy for the Development of Energy Sector in Serbia for the Period to 2015".

[ Serbian Government ]

The Strategy has been adopted by The National Assembly in May 2005 (Official Gazette no. 44/05). The program reflects the period 2007 – 2012.

Program for the implementation of Strategy (further on PROGRAM) comprise preconditions, tools and timeline of activities for Strategy implementation in all energy sectors, that is:

• Mines with open pit and underground exploitation
• Oil industry
• Oil transportation
• Gas industry
• Electric power sector ( hydropower plants, thermo power plants, thermo power plants – heat plants, transmission and distribution of electric power
• Town Heat plants and individual boiler houses
• Energy in industry sector
• Energy efficiency within consumption sector: industry, transport, building stock, as well as establishing Energy Efficiency Fund
• Renewable energy sources
• Environmental protection in energy sector

Financing funds for designed tasks as well and financing sources are in accordance with adopted Strategy and mid and long-term plans and programs of public enterprises. Needed funds are calculated and will be adjusted accordingly with the national budget available funds, according to Budget Law.

Hydro-Power Energy

Hydro Power Plants

The total capacity of nine hydro power plants with fifty hydro units amounts to 2,831 MW, which makes almost 34 percent of EPS's total electric power potential.

Hydro power plants produced 11,021 GWh in 2004, which makes 31 percent of the total electric power production of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia.

Hydro Power Plants (HPP) are:

Economic Association HPP Djerdap, plc with its subsidiaries:

• HPP Djerdap I (with 6 units)
• HPP Djerdap II (with 10 units)
• HPP Pirot (with 2 units)
• HPP Vlasina (with 10 units)

Economic Association HPP Drinsko-limske, plc with its subsidiaries:

• HPP Bajina Basta (with 4 units)
• HPP Bajina Basta (with 2 units)
• HPP Limske (with 8 units)
• HPP Zvornik (with 4 units)
• HPP Elektromorava (with 4 units)

Construction of HPP "Djerdap I" began as early as 1964, through joint investment of Yugoslavia and Romania. The first units were put into operation in 1970, and the whole plant was put into operation on 16 May, 1972.

The basic activity of this hydro power plant is not only electric power production, but also operation of water locks in the "Djerdap I" and "Djerdap II" system.

HPP "Djerdap I" has two-level water locks (ships enter the chamber and then they are "led" into the end water level of the Danube at the chamber end). In terms of chamber dimensions, these water locks are among the largest ones in the world.

Reversible hydro power plant i.e. Pumped – storage Hydro Power Plant

Pumped storage hydroelectricity is a method of storing and producing electricity to supply high peak demands by moving water between reservoirs at different elevations.

The Electric Power System of Serbia also possesses one specific plant, the reversible hydro power plant Bajina Basta. In the generator operation regime, this plant is practically a hydro power plant with all its advantages – characteristics.

Combined Heat and Power Plants (CHP)

Economic Association "Combined Heat and Power Plants Panonske" plc

The subsidiaries of Economic Association "Combined Heat and Power Plants Panonske" plc are:

• Combined Heat and Power Plant Novi Sad - with 2 blocks – total available capacity 208 MW
• Combined Heat and Power Plant Zrenjanin – with 1 block – total available capacity 100 MW
• Combined Heat and Power Plant Sremska Mitrovica – with 3 blocks – total available capacity 45 MW

Total capacity of all these Combined Heat and Power Plants is 353 MW and their total annual production amounts to 353 GWh.

Combined Heat and Power Plant "Novi Sad" is a power plant for combined production of electric power, technological steam and heat energy. Natural gas supply is provided through connection to the main gas pipeline, fuel oil is transported by a fuel oil pipeline, while the vicinity of the Danube enables comparatively easy supply of this Combined Heat and Power Plant with required amounts of cooling water.

Potential in Serbia

• Biomass (2.6 million toe)
• Small hydro-power plants (1.600 GWh or 400.000 toe)
• Geothermal energy (185.000 toe)
• Solar energy (-)
• Wind energy (-)

Biomass

• 2.6 Mtoe
• 1.56 Mtoe agriculture
• 1.0 Mtoe woods

Potentials for biomass exploitation

• 2.6 million tones of oil equivalent
• 55% of Serbian territory is arable land
• 25 % of Serbian territory is under wood

Situation

• Old and non efficient equipment

Priorities

• Boilers on biomass fuel
• The use of biomass as heat fuel
• The use of liquid waste for bio-gas production

[ Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency ]

Geothermal Energy

Potential

• 100 locations with springs
• Temperature: usually 30-60 °C, rarely up to 80 °C, max. 110 °C
• Over than 50 locations have the potential > 1 MW

Priorities

• Heating
• Revitalization (heat pumps)
• Construction of new installations

[ Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency ]

Wind Energy

There are no operational wind turbines in Serbia. A countrywide wind-atlas is not available.

Following inter alias the areas of Serbia where wind velocity exceeded 6-beau fort and the number of days this was the case. The locations with the highest velocities in 1999 and 2000 were the following:

• Crni Vrh: 256–223 days
• Ban. Karlovac: 128-155 days
• Vranje: 133-156 days
• Kopaonik: 134-144 days
• Nis: 81-105 days
• Beograd: 130-114 days

According to the investigations made by experts from Agricultural Faculty and Faculty of electronics from city of Beograd in 2003, potentials to produce electricity from wind in Serbia and Montenegro are as follows:

• Average speed of wind: 4 – 6 m/s,
• Potential (onshore) wind capacity: 11 000 MW,
• Potential (onshore + offshore) wind capacity: 15 000 MW,
• Electricity produced from (onshore + offshore) wind: 26,3 TWh/yr

Source: Professional Magazine Tractors and Power Machines, 8(2003) 3, Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro

Small River Hydro-Power Plants

Potential

• Cadastre of potential location
• 900 locations for HPP up to 10MW
• Gross capacity approximately 500 MW

Situation

• Approximately 60 units have been constructed (50 % out of service)
• Average 1 MW

Priorities

• Revitalization
• Small HPP on existing water-gates
• Construction of new HPP

[ Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency ]

Demonstration Projects and Feasibility Studies

carried out by Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency in collaboration with European Agency for Reconstruction and other donors:

Biomass

• Replacement of two fuel oil boilers with biomass fired boilers and reconstruction of the boiler house – power 2x230kW
• The use of biomass in boiler houses in town of Negotin - power 5MW

Small HPP

• Construction of small hydro power plant at Gruza lake near town of Kragujevac – power 80kW
• Small hydro power plant at the accumulation lake "Celije" near Krusevac with capacity of about 3 MW

Geothermal Energy

• Improvement of utilization of existing geothermal wells in Bujanovac Spa including installation of heat pumps for sanitary water and building heating.

Solar Energy

• Using of Solar Thermal Energy for sanitary water heating in the Special Hospital "Rusanda" Melenci.

Wind Energy

Project from Spanish donation:

• Capacity building of the RES centre within SEEA.
• 3 pillars for wind metering for 3 locations
• Metering period - 12 months
• Data processing
• Feasibility study for one location
• Assistance by regulatory proposals

[ Serbian Energy Efficiency Agency ]

Feed-in tariffs per kilowatt hour of electricity, generated from renewables or CHP are as follows:

• small hydropower plants – between 7.8 and 9.7 Euro cents;
• biomass units – between 11.4 and 13.6 Euro cents;
• biogas – between 12 and 16 Euro cents;
• gas from waste water treatment plants and landfill gas – 6.7 Euro cents;
• wind farms – 9.5 Euro cents;
• solar power plants – 23 Euro cents;
• geothermal power plants – 7.5 Euro cents;
• cogeneration power plants – between 7.6 and 10.4 Euro cents, and
• waste power plants – between 8.5 and 9.2 Euro cents.

The Minister of Mining and Energy, Petar Skundric, stated that the respective regulation obliged Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) to buy electricity generated from renewables at higher feed-in tariffs, set by the Serbian government.

(as of September 2009)