COAL PURIFICATION SYSTEM BY END OF NEXT YEAR

GACKO, DECEMBER 3 /SRNA/ – The construction of a coal purification system at the Gacko Mine and Thermal Power Plant /RiTE Gacko/, currently underway, is the most important of the investments in the company since the power plant was built, the Director General of Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske, Luka Petrović, has stated today.

"Without this investment, the plant would be jeopardized, and grid outages would become increasingly frequent", Petrović told reporters at RiTE Gacko, where, in the presence of the line minister, Petar Đokić, a session of the company’s Shareholders’ Assembly was held along with a visit to the coal purification facility.

Petrović emphasized that the parent company will finance the procurement of the X-ray–based coal purification system in Gacko, and RiTE Gacko will repay those funds over a 10-year period after the facility becomes operational.

He noted that once the system is commissioned, the expectation is to improve output and increase electricity production at the Gacko plant, enabling the company to use the financial surplus for other needs.

Petrović explained that after 40 years of mining operations in Gacko, the coal now available is of lower quality, with high levels of clay and soil, which reduces production efficiency.

He added that another major project at RiTE Gacko is the relocation of the Mušnica River bed, a process initiated several years ago and still underway.

Speaking about the energy situation in Srpska, Petrović said that electricity is predominantly being used for heating due to its lower cost, noting that consumption has risen by 15 to 20 percent in recent days.

He added that it is positive that the water level at the Bileća reservoir is currently above plan, at 371 meters above sea level, but urged citizens to use electricity rationally, as this will help prevent significant increases in electricity prices.

Director of RiTE Gacko, Maksim Skoko, said the Gacko thermal power plant is operating extremely stably, with a very low number of grid departures—fewer even than 20 years ago when the plant was much newer. He noted that coal quality has also been significantly better this year, thanks to selective extraction and additional mining activities.

Skoko said construction of the coal purification system is proceeding according to schedule, with plans to complete it by the end of next year, explaining that outdoor work can only be carried out on specific days depending on weather conditions.

He stated that expenditures at RiTE Gacko have been reduced to a minimum, and further cuts will continue.

Skoko also said intensive work is underway to resolve the issue of spontaneous coal ignition in the protected zone, adding that remediation of the depot began immediately and the issue will be resolved.