Serbian Government will continue to invest in the district heating sector in Serbia and the goal is for all cities and municipalities to use renewable sources for heat and electricity, because it will reduce consumption and provide a healthier environment, Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic said last week after the signing of the contract on the construction of a new biomass heating plant in Majdanpek.
Minister Mihajlovic said that, together with the German Government and the German Development Bank KfW, Serbia has already completed two heating plants, in Mali Zvornik and Priboj, while the construction of similar facility in Novi Pazar is nearing completion and should be put into operation for the upcoming winter season.
The ultimate goal is that all heating plants in Serbia, and in many of them the dirtiest fossil fuel is still used, will use renewable energy sources in the coming years.
The tender for the main contractor should be launched in July, with construction expected to start in March 2023 and completed by October same year.
In June 2017, Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy has signed a loan and donation agreement with the representatives of German KfW Bank and Swiss Government that will enable ten heating plants in Serbia to switch from using fossil fuel to renewable energy sources, namely biomass. The first stage will include heating plants in the municipalities of Mali Zvornik, Nova Varos, Novi Pazar, Prijepolje, Bajina Basta, Valjevo, Priboj, Kladovo and Majdanpek, while the municipality of Becej has already launched two projects – one to convert a part of its heating plant to biomass and the other aimed at using geothermal energy.