By 2020, Serbia ought to assure that 27% of the total consumption results from renewable energy sources. The government will therefore boost investments in that sector in the forthcoming period, said the minister of energy, development and environment, Zorana Mihajlović, presenting an action plan for the use of renewable energy sources to potential investors in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. More by Biljana Blanuša.
The government is ready to establish a partnership relation with investors for the purpose of more intensive use of renewable energy sources and with a view to the development of that sector, emphasized Mihajlović. She says that the state aims to have energy production facilities built and energy efficiency increased, while investors aim to derive profit through the production of electric energy from renewable sources. Priority will be set on sources that can provide electric energy in the fastest and cheapest way possible – biomass, small hydro power plants, geothermal sources, wind and solar energy. Tariffs for the use of wind and solar energy will be reduced. Source categorization has been improved and it now includes gas and coal. Reduced prices are not to apply to business people only, but also to households with heating plants based on geothermal energy and to the setting up of solar collectors on roofs.
Serbia has large potentials for the use of renewable sources and new laws will create conditions for a faster construction of facilities and more significant investments in that field, stressed Mihajlović. For those purposes, Serbia could obtain some money from European funds as well as the EU strongly support the use of renewable energy sources. By the end of the year, we will call for a public tender for the issue of energy licences for the construction of mini hydro power plants in some twenty municipalities with adequate locations, said the minister. She also commented on the energy situation in Serbia, emphasizing that the energy system was stable when both electric energy and gas supplies and heat energy are concerned and expressed she believed such a situation would remain throughout the rest of the winter season.
According to the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Miloš Bugarin, business people are interested in investing in renewable energy sources. Some 35 such facilities have been built in Serbia so far, with an installed power of some 19 megawatts, which is a modest result if we compare it to the real potentials. Bugarin emphasized that the National Action Plan, with the accompanying regulations, would not only make Serbua fulfill the requirement of 27% of the participation of that sector in consumption, but also exceed such percentage.
In a week or more, the government should adopt several regulations on incentives in the field of renewable sources, such as those referring to the acquisition of the status of privileged electric power producers or those referring to the amount of the fee aimed at boosting production on that basis. By mid-2013, a system enabling investors to obtain all the licences at a single place – the competent ministry, will have been established.
Source Voiceofserbia
