A contract for the construction of a biomass heating plant in Novi Pazar has been signed at the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy, a project that will enable cutting CO2 emissions from 6,000 tons a year to about 500 tons and completely eliminating SO2 emissions.

With this project, worth EUR 7 million, Novi Pazar is moving towards decarbonization and better air quality, according to Rüdiger Hartmann, head of the Belgrade office of German development bank KfW, which is implementing a biomass promotion program in Serbia together with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

KfW and SECO are implementing a biomass promotion program in Serbia

The program, worth a total of EUR 26.7 million, covers six local governments in Serbia. Tendering for the heating plant in Novi Pazar was launched last summer, while bids for two other municipalities, Priboj and Mali Zvornik, were invited in April 2020.

The biomass heating plant will enable Novi Pazar to supply heat for over 240,000 m2 of residential and commercial space

Nihat Biševac, the mayor of Novi Pazar, said the biomass heating plant will enable Novi Pazar to supply heat for over 240,000 m2 of residential and commercial space, up from 100,000 m2 currently.

Mining and Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlović said following the signing that other municipalities in Serbia should follow this example and start using biomass and other renewable energy sources.