By 2020, Serbia should double the production of electric power from renewable sources, whereas at the moment it is using only one fifth of available capacities. The fact that the first solar power plant in southern Serbia has been put into operation recently – in the town of Leskovac – is a good step forward. More by Jelena Milenković.
A priority of the state is to increase energy capacities and to reduce carbon-dioxide emission, which is possible through the implementation of renewable energy sources. The building of new power plants, based on renewable resources, will contribute to the development of local communities, industry, employment and energy stability. Serbia has potentials to obtain 55% of the self-produced energy from renewable sources. Half of the potentials is constituted by biomass, one third by hydro power plants, 13% by solar energy, 4% by wind and geothermal energy, while the rest are small hydro power plants. Serbia expects the Energy Community of Southeastern Europe to grant it a lower percentage of participation of renewable sources by 2020 as the period left for it to realize that is shorter than in the case of other member-states. That entails a 4% increase by 2020, plus a certain percentage calculated according to the gross domestic product.
The Energy Ministry will support all the good projects and investors interested in sustainable energy capacities by creating a more efficient procedure, said Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlović, putting into operation the first solar power plant in southern Serbia. Its 250 kilowatt capacity will be supplying more than 60 households with energy. This investment, plus another one – a power plant to be built in Bojnik, are worth two million euros. In the past four years, 127 approvals for the exploitation of these resources and some 57 licences have been issues, but only 7% of the approved projects have been realized, Mihajlovic pointed out. Such projects and investments should be doubled in number and the implementation of the already approved projects alone would provide Serbia with more than 235 megawatts of energy, said Mihajlovic. The Minsitry will support investors, but will also verify their credentials, she said, adding that the already issued licences and approvals are going to be revised.