Electricity

ERS to suffer net loss in 2022 – energy minister

petar djokic minister repubic of srpska ers loss electricity energy crisis

Photo: Petar Đokić/Facebook

Published

November 8, 2022

Comments

0

Share

Published:

November 8, 2022

Comments:

0

Share

Due to the energy crisis, drought and the poor performance of the Ugljevik thermal power plant, power utility Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske will post a loss in its results for 2022. One of the consequences for the utility, which is among the few exporters of electricity in the region of the Western Balkans, will be an increase in electricity tariffs for businesses.

Petar Đokić, the Minister of Energy and Mining of the Republic of Srpska, said low levels of water at hydropower plants and the need to import electricity are the main reasons why Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) would post a negative result for 2022.

Electricity prices for firms will be increased, while households will be encouraged to save energy, Đokić told Bloomberg Adria.

ERS has imported electricity for as much as EUR 500 per MWh

He said that this year ERS spent more than EUR 35 million on power imports, attributing the unfavorable situation mostly to malfunctions at thermal power plant Ugljevik. It suffered 24 outages so far this year.

Disruptions in the operation of TPP Ugljevik have forces ERS to purchase electricity abroad, and in some cases it had to pay EUR 500 per megawatt-hour (MWh). At the same time, it sold power to consumers at prices that are several dozen times lower, Đokić said.

In normal conditions, ERS can produce 35% more energy than what its domestic consumers need

According to Đokić, when water levels are regular and thermal power plants work smoothly, ERS can produce about 35% more electricity than what it needs to cover domestic consumption, but this year is different. He added that 2022 is the second dry year in a row.

Đokić acknowledged an increase in the price of electricity for businesses is inevitable and revealed that talks would be held with the representatives of the corporate sector on the details of the planned hike.

Đokić also said a consultant would be selected within a month for the restructuring of ERS.

Comments (0)

Be the first one to comment on this article.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

Croatian Chamber of Economy lex specialis for renewables position paper

Croatian Chamber of Economy asks for lex specialis for renewable energy sector

28 March 2024 - The Association for Renewable Energy Sources produced a position paper identifying obstacles and possible solutions

romania delgaz hydrogen 20HyGrid

Romania successfully tests blending hydrogen in natural gas distribution grid, households

28 March 2024 - E.ON Romania declared success in its test of blending hydrogen into the gas network and using the mixture in households.

IRENA-Global-solar-power-capacity-surpasses-hydropower-in-2023

IRENA: Global solar power capacity surpasses hydropower in 2023

28 March 2024 - The world's renewable electricity capacity additions in 2023 hit a record 473 GW, dominated by China. Solar power became the largest segment in total.

aleksander mervar eles krsko solar slovenija

Mervar: Electricity from Krško 2 nuclear project won’t be cheaper then EUR 125 per MWh

27 March 2024 - CEO of Slovenia's TSO ELES Aleksander Mervar said gas power plants need to be built to prevent the need for large electricity imports