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.

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.