January 5, 2026
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EPS plans to build solar power plant on TENT A ash dump

Serbia’s state power utility, Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS), has invited bids for producing a preliminary feasibility study and conceptual design for a solar power plant on the ash disposal site of the Nikola Tesla A (TENT A) thermal power plant in Obrenovac.

The study should assess the feasibility and viability of the project, as well as the total solar potential of the site. The estimated value of the contract is RSD 14.91 million, and the deadline to submit bids is 23 January 2026.

The document must clearly define the proposed capacity of the planned solar power plant, the grid connection method, and the expected operating regime, according to the public call.

The capacity of the future solar power plant will be determined by the study

The project aims to expand EPS’ renewable energy capacities, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and remediate the ash disposal site.

In July, EPS connected to the grid its first larger photovoltaic facility, the 10 MW Petka solar power plant. The plant is located in the Kostolac coal mining complex east of Belgrade, next to a 66 MW wind farm, which was put into trial operation in late November.

The design of the planned solar power plant at the TENT A ash disposal site should allow for integration with TENT’s existing safety and SCADA systems, while energy stability should be ensured through backup power sources, including solar panels with battery storage and/or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system.

The project should envisage battery energy storage

The photovoltaic panels should have a minimum power of 600 Wp, a minimum efficiency of 24%, and guaranteed production over 30 years of operation, while the efficiency of the inverters must be around 98% by European standards.

The part of the TENT A ash disposal site allocated for the solar power plant is slated for closure, and its usable area is about 67.2 hectares. The exact usable area will be determined following the completion of the study.

The selected bidder will be required to complete the task within six months of receiving all necessary documentation from EPS.

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January 4, 2026
by in News

EPS plans to build solar power plant on TENT A ash dump

Serbia’s state power utility, Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS), has invited bids for producing a preliminary feasibility study and a conceptual design for a solar power plant on the ash disposal site of the Nikola Tesla A (TENT A) thermal power plant in Obrenovac.

The study should assess the feasibility and viability of the project, as well as the total solar potential of the site. The estimated value of the contract is RSD 14.91 million, and the deadline to submit bids is 23 January 2026.

The document must clearly define the proposed capacity of the planned solar power plant, the grid connection method, and the expected operating regime, according to the public call.

The capacity of the future solar power plant will be determined by the study

The project aims to expand EPS’ renewable energy capacities, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and remediate the ash disposal site.

In July, EPS connected to the grid its first larger photovoltaic facility, the 10 MW Petka solar power plant. The plant is located in the Kostolac coal mining complex east of Belgrade, next to a 66 MW wind farm, which was put into trial operation in late November.

The design of the planned solar power plant at the TENT A ash disposal site should allow for integration with TENT’s existing safety and SCADA systems, while energy stability should be ensured through backup power sources, including solar panels with battery storage and/or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system.

The project should envisage battery energy storage

The photovoltaic panels should have a minimum power of 600 Wp, a minimum efficiency of 24%, and guaranteed production over 30 years of operation, while the efficiency of the inverters must be around 98% by European standards.

The part of the TENT A ash disposal site allocated for the solar power plant is slated for closure, and its usable area is about 67.2 hectares. The exact usable area will be determined following the completion of the study.

The selected bidder will be required to complete the task within six months of receiving all necessary documentation from EPS.

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August 8, 2025
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First desulfurization system test completed at coal plant in Serbia

All construction work on the desulfurization system at coal-fired thermal power plant Nikola Tesla B (TENT B) near Obrenovac, Serbia, has been completed, and individual components of the system are now undergoing testing, the Ministry of Mining and Energy said.

The first test, in which flue gases and limestone slurry were injected through the absorber at unit B1, was completed. The same procedure is planned for absorber B2 in mid-August.

The units utilize the wet desulfurization method. The lime milk solvent is sprayed in absorbers-scrubbers to take in sulfur dioxide (SO2) from flue gas, resulting in the creation of gypsum.

Over EUR 400 million has been invested in desulfurization systems at TENT A and TENT B

Milan Aleksić, advisor to the Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia, said during his visit to the site that more than EUR 400 million has been invested in the construction of desulfurization systems at TENT A and TENT B. He emphasized that the facility at TENT B is one of the largest environmental investments by state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije – EPS. “Last year, a similar system was built in TENT A. It is important that both facilities will contribute to better environmental protection and the health of the residents of Obrenovac and surrounding areas,” said Aleksić.

Thanks to the two systems, both thermal power plants, which still represent the backbone of Serbia’s electricity generation, will be able to operate longer, he asserted.

Aleksić pointed out that the ministry would continue to support EPS in planning and securing funds for environmental projects, with a particular focus on implementing environmental protection measures at thermal energy facilities.

TENT A is in the town of Obrenovac, while TENT B is further west in the same municipality, which is part of the territory of Serbia’s capital, Belgrade.

Cement to be produced using ash from TENT B

EPS’s General Manager Dušan Živković said that with desulfurization systems at three units at the Kostolac B thermal power plant, four units at TENT A, and both units at TENT B, all large EPS thermal power plants would be fully environmentally compliant with both the European Union’s and national standards.

“The hot test, injecting flue gases and limestone slurry through absorber B1, was successfully carried out. This is a key milestone in the technological process. The white plume from the stack is proof that the process is functioning, and we are now entering the phase of fine-tuning all parameters. We expect the desulfurization system at TENT B to begin trial operations in mid-December,” said Živković.

Lafarge plans cement plant and quarry

Another major project is being prepared in Obrenovac. Lafarge BFC Serbia plans to build a cement factory that would use ash from TENT B’s ash landfill as raw material for the production of construction materials. In the first phase, an investment of EUR 110 million is planned. The Government of Serbia has initiated the development of a special purpose spatial plan for the industrial complex.

The project includes a future factory in Ratari, a settlement in the municipality of Obrenovac, and a quarry in the Jazovnik–Svileuva area, spanning the municipalities of Vladimirci and Koceljeva. They would be logistically connected with TENT B. The project addresses the issue of electrostatic precipitator ash disposal and creates opportunities for its reuse in industry, contributing to the sustainability of Serbia’s energy sector.

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July 6, 2025
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Slovenia’s sole coal-fired power plant Šoštanj to keep main unit offline until fall

As of this year, Slovenia’s only coal-fired power plant, Termoelektrarna Šoštanj (TEŠ), has shifted its primary focus to supplying heat, with electricity now sold as a byproduct. The ongoing overhaul of its unit 6 is expected to be completed in the coming days, but the 600 MW block will not be restarted until the end of September, when demand for heat is set to rise.

As part of the coal-phaseout process, targeted for completion in 2033, the Government of Slovenia decided last year to set aside EUR 403 million to save TEŠ and coal mine Velenje from bankruptcy and take over both from state-owned power utility Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE).

TEŠ hopes the fall months will drive revenues

TEŠ hopes that the fall months will enable it to meet this year’s revenue target, as the operation of unit 6 is unprofitable in the summer due to low market prices for electricity and reduced demand for heat. This year, the power plant aims to earn EUR 400 million from the sale of heat and electricity.

Apart from unit 6, TEŠ operates only one other coal-fired generator, unit 5, with a capacity of 345 MW, while its first four blocks have been shut down.

The changed circumstances have been challenging for TEŠ, according to its CEO, Branko Debeljak. As HSE no longer sells TEŠ’s electricity, the plant had to set up its own sales department and seek customers on the market. Even so, the first four months of 2025 were quite successful when it comes to electricity sales, says Debeljak. The plant sold 1,045 GWh of electricity, generating revenues of EUR 138 million, or EUR 29 million more than initially planned, according to him.

The overhaul of unit 6 began in April

The overhaul of unit 6 began on April 22 and was expected to be completed by June 20. However, due to delays in the delivery of components, it had to be extended until early July. The completion of the overhaul will be followed by a short trial run, and a restart is planned at the end of September when the need for heat supply is set to rise again.

Slovenia aims at a 55% drop in emissions by 2033, and an early closure of its only coal-fired plant could help achieve that target. It seems likely that TEŠ will be shut down within a few years or operate at minimum capacity.

In June, Ireland’s Moneypoint power plant stopped burning coal, marking the end of coal use in the country. Slovakia and Spain officially intend to exit coal in 2025, followed by Greece (2026), France and Hungary (2027), and Denmark and Italy (2028). However, the dates could be pushed forward, and more countries could join the group in the meantime.

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June 17, 2017
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Balkan leaders have to realise new coal plants are a liability, not a gold mine?

Author:  Pippa Gallop, Research Co-ordinator, CEE Bankwatch Network

In April this year, the EU proved that whatever difficulties it might be going through, it can still make momentous decisions. It approved new pollution control standards for power stations, entitled the LCP BREF (1) The name might sound obscure, but the results should be concrete: The new standards are projected to save up to 20 000 lives annually across the EU.

On the EU’s doorstep in the Western Balkans, however, you would hardly know the LCP BREF existed. Almost all the countries in the region are planning to build new coal power plants, and there has been virtually no mention of the need for them to comply with the new standards.

This is strange, because not only is compliance with the new LCP BREF necessary for EU accession, but most Western Balkans already stipulate it as part of their domestic pollution control legislation (2). This means that as soon as the standards enter force in the EU this year, they also enter into force in most of the region.

CO2 remains an unsolvable problem with coal

Let’s be clear here: the LCP BREF is not a panacea. It limits emissions of SO2, NOx, PM10, HCl, HF and mercury, so it makes a great contribution to reducing coal’s health impacts. But it can’t do anything about the biggest problem with coal: CO2 and its contribution to climate change. There is no filter that can stop CO2 emissions, and if we are to limit climate change to 1.5-2 degrees, no new coal plants can be built. Unlike climate science, BREF is legally binding, and attempts to ignore it will likely backfire even sooner than attempts to ignore climate science.

Legislative changes need to be anticipated

Whether you have to comply with the LCP BREF right now or in a few years, it’s not something you want to ignore. With power stations lasting 40 years and more, they need to be designed in line with the very latest technical and environmental standards, and their promoters need to anticipate the rules coming up within the next few years. Failure to do so means additional and potentially expensive retrofits just a couple of years after a plant has opened.

With the chances of new coal plants being viable already at rock bottom, such additional costs could easily increase the risk of stranded assets. Only very few EU countries are planning new coal plants, because of low electricity prices, the growth of renewable energy, CO2 costs, and pollution control legislation that is gradually making polluters, instead of the public, pay the health costs of coal.

Yet governments and utilities in the Western Balkans are not doing their homework about recent trends and new legislation that awaits them in the next few years, with the result that their planned projects are dangerously out of date.

Earlier this year we revealed that none of the planned coal power plants seem to have properly taken the costs of CO2 into account in their financial planning. Now we’ve crunched the numbers for the LCP BREF and found that none of the plants has proven compliance with the new standards either.

Planned Balkan coal plants not in compliance with new BREF

There are eight units currently being actively planned in the region. Out of these, five would violate the new standards while for three there is insufficient information available. Kostolac B3 in Serbia, Pljevlja II in Montenegro, and the Oslomej reconstruction in Macedonia have been designed in line with the older Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) Annex V standards, but not the new BREF. Tuzla 7 and Banovići in Bosnia-Herzegovina don’t even go this far: Tuzla 7 is bound only by the even more outdated local legislation while the environmental permit for Banovići is unclear about what standards are relevant. For the remaining three units, Ugljevik III units 1 and 2, and Kosova e Re, the information about likely emissions is still unclear.

Kostolac B3 in Serbia is the only plant for which the new BREF has even been mentioned in its official documentation. It is currently undergoing an environmental impact assessment process, in which local groups have commented on the need for the plant to comply with the BREF. The only reaction so far is an amendment in the study stating that the plant would be an existing plant under the BREF and thus allowed to pollute more than new plants. Even if some retrofits are necessary, the study argues, this is a normal procedure after running a plant for a few years, and thus nothing to worry about.

Neither of these claims is true: Any plant receiving its integrated environmental permit after the LCP BREF enters force in the EU is a new one, according to the BREF definitions, and has to stick to the highest standards. As for undertaking retrofits, the study authors should really check the plant’s feasibility assessment, which shows that the plant will be unviable even with a low CO2 price.

The story is not dissimilar with Pljevlja II in Montenegro. Despite being hailed – like all the plants – as being in line with EU standards, it turns out that it is in line only with outdated ones. Local NGOs pointed out during the environmental assessment process that the plant must comply with the new LCP BREF, but they have received no reaction from the authorities as yet.

Montenegro and Serbia may seem like the most alarming cases due to being ahead of others in EU accession, but Bosnia-Herzegovina is if anything a more worrying case, due to the number of projects planned. The Stanari lignite power plant which started commercial operation last September is already out of date compared to the Industrial Emissions Directive and will now be out of line with the BREF as well. If Ugljevik III, Tuzla  7, and Banovići are all completed and all out of line with the BREF, the country will end up with a significant burden on its hands.

If the Balkans electricity utilities really ran on commercial lines, as they are bound by the Energy Community Treaty to do, they would never risk these projects. The new LCP BREF is but one more indicator that coal is an increasing liability, and the Balkan countries should be looking much more carefully at what’s going on around them. After all, the region has ample potential for wind, solar and energy savings combined with a relatively small population, so if this region can’t make a transition to sustainable energy, who can?

NOTES:

  1. Large Combustion Plants Best Available Techniques Reference Document
  2. Albania, the Federation entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo Macedonia and Montenegro. Serbia and Republika Srpska both require the application of best available techniques but do not specify that the EU reference document should be used.