Business innovation centre Kragujevac hosted the meeting of officials of Serbia’s fourth-largest city with representatives of the Development of a Sustainable Bioenergy Market in Serbia (DKTI) programe, implemented by GIZ.

Persons responsible for energy management in local authorities of Vrbas, Pirot and Užice were also present.

Participants saw the presentation of a feasibility study for the switch to biomass for heating in selected facilities in Kragujevac, said the press release on the city’s portal. It was produced according to a technical analysis conducted by GIZ’s consultants. The second part of the meeting covered the options to finance the endeavour utilizing the concept of public–private partnership (PPP).

The analysis included five elementary schools with independent heating systems from a total of seven boilers using heating oil and coal. An investment of between EUR 400,000 and EUR 500,000 would enable the installation of five new units fuelled by woood chips or pellets. Annual savings are estimated at between EUR 45,530 and EUR 55,490, alongside the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 480 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.