Ugljevik Power Plant Shuts Down Tuesday at Midnight
The mine cannot deliver enough coal, hydropower is running at a minimum, and ATV reports that Republika Srpska will import about half its electricity from Monday.
The Ugljevik mine and thermal power plant stop operating at midnight on Tuesday, October 13, because the mine cannot secure enough coal. Company director Zarko Novakovic confirmed this to RTRS, explaining that the shutdown, first announced for the weekend of October 10 and 11, was postponed by two days because that much coal was left in stock. For consumers in Republika Srpska the consequence is immediate: according to the BL portal, citing ATV, about half of the electricity needed for consumption will be imported from Monday.
Why is coal not reaching the power plant?
Novakovic told ATV, in a statement relayed on October 10 and 11 by the BL portal and Novi Glas, that the mine and the power plant cannot be brought into line.
“We are missing each other for a simple reason: from the mine we cannot secure the combined production.”
That is how Novakovic explained why the plant is running out of fuel. He added that work at the Ugljevik Istok 2 pit has been halted: “Work at Ugljevik Istok 2 is currently suspended because property law relations do not allow any further progress.” According to what he told RTRS, the machines cannot continue because those property questions remain unresolved.
Coal is therefore being dug at the Ugljevik Istok 1 field, where conditions are poor. Ivan Koprivica, executive director for technical affairs at Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske, explained what that means in practice:
“They are still digging coal in the existing Ugljevik Istok 1 field, and that is why the quantities of coal they extract are small, because the ratio is up to 15 to one. That means they have to scoop up 15 spoons of soil to reach one spoon of coal.”
Koprivica added that work on removing the overburden is running well behind schedule, so the available coal is less than the power plant needs. The accounts of RiTE Ugljevik are blocked, and Novakovic said he hopes this will be resolved soon. The amount of the debt was not given.
What is happening with the other sources of electricity?
The Ugljevik shutdown comes at a moment when hydropower cannot make up the shortfall either. Output on the Drina and Vrbas rivers is down to a minimum because of weak inflows. The water level in Bileca Lake is low, so Trebinje I Hydropower Plant has not produced electricity for more than a month.
An overhaul at the Grancarevo dam has been extended at the request of Hydropower Plant Dubrovnik. Dam manager Nikola Tubic said the deadline is moving:
“It was supposed to last until October 20, but at the request of HE Dubrovnik the overhaul will be extended until November 5.”
The combination of low water, weak inflows and a longer overhaul reduces the ability of the hydropower system to fill the gap left by the thermal plant.
The only thermal power plant in the system that is running is RiTE Gacko. Its director Maksim Skoko says the pressure on the workforce is growing.
“All eyes are on Gacko, and Gacko has its own problems. From time to time we have to maintain the plant, to stop production when a fault occurs. The equipment is more than 40 years old, so that puts additional pressure on all employees.”
According to the sources, the operational readiness of the Gacko plant is high and output is slightly above plan. The mine holds more than a million tons of exposed coal, but the quality of that coal remains a problem.
How much is imported, and when does Ugljevik return?
The BL portal writes that Elektroprivreda Republike Srpska will cover the missing quantities on the market. Citing ATV, the portal says that from Monday roughly half of the electricity needed for consumption in Srpska will be imported. The sources we had access to speak of this in the future tense, as an announcement, so it is not confirmed that imports at that scale have already begun.
It is also unknown when Ugljevik could start up again. No date has been announced. The questions raised by Novakovic and Koprivica remain open: property law relations at Ugljevik Istok 2, the blocked accounts and the delay in overburden removal.
