What are the prospects for a safe supply of energy this winter?

Energy experts told Danas that preventing the supply of gas to Serbia from Russia due to “force majeure” is unlikely, because the gas pipeline we use to supply this energy goes through Bulgaria, from where there are no indications that there will be any problems.- We are not tied to the main gas pipeline over which Russia and certain EU members are arguing. We are connected to the gas pipeline that goes through Bulgaria, and there is no indication that there will be a reduction in quantities or a cessation of gas deliveries, which is not in the interest of the Bulgarians either. It is almost impossible for a part of that gas pipeline to be damaged at some point, as was recently the case in Ukraine – believes energy expert Velimir Gavrilović.

The president of the assembly of the Gas Association, Vojislav Vuletić, points out that our facilities are in excellent condition, and therefore there should be no problems with gas delivery or possible shortages.

– Our plants are brand new, they don’t need any overhaul, so, as far as we are concerned, there should be no problem. The gas pipelines that go through Ukraine are very old, over 50 years old, and have a lot of problems, new pipes should be built, while our gas pipeline is absolutely new. Therefore, the only problem could be the gas pipeline that goes through Ukraine – says Vuletić. He notes that we are secured by an underground storage in Hungary, so in case something happens, we could use that gas as an alternative and there won’t be any problems during the winter.

The President of the Association of Energy Workers of Serbia, Nikola Rajaković, believes that we have to bring coal from other countries because we don’t have enough of our own, because “it is cheaper to produce electricity with purchased coal, if you have a thermal power plant, and we have one, than to buy expensive electricity”.

– We did not import coal for thermal power plants until a year ago, because the mines with surface exploitation, Kolubara and Kostolac, removed tailings on time, coal layers were reached, it was planned properly and everything was fine. There has been a disturbance since the last quarter of last year, overburden is being delayed, and because of this we have a shortage of coal for thermal power plants, and other problems arise from this, which are now affecting households – says Rajaković.

The problem with the production of electricity is not only about the supply of coal.

– Our thermal power plants are in a bad condition, repairs were delayed, some were completed inexpertly at the end of last year, when the electricity went out and more than 100,000 households were left without electricity during the cold days. This means that you can have any amount of coal reserves, if your thermal power plants are not in operation, you have nowhere to produce electricity – Velimir Gavrilović believes.

Experts point out that the homogenization process, which involves mixing with imported coal, reduced the quantity from 1.7 tons of coal, which is needed to produce electricity per megawatt hour, to 1.5 tons, which resulted in a 12 percent saving.

Rajaković states that in order to save energy, rational consumption is necessary, starting with households, and that any saving during the summer is valuable for the winter period.

– Air conditioning should not be used intensively, it is necessary to reduce consumption so that we do not use coal now, because even now if you cool yourself with air conditioning, you are de facto consuming kilograms of coal in Obrenovac. We must not behave in a spoiled manner and the more we as individuals do, the less problems there will be for the country. Who can do better insulation of the apartment, windows, who can heat with wood to prepare it in time for winter – concludes Rajaković, Danas writes.