New control and monitoring system in TENT B in Obrenovac - CHF 10.5 million worth of first phase of modernization completed

The first phase of modernization of the control and monitoring system in Nikola Tesla B Steam Power Plant (TENT B) in Obrenovac has been completed recently. The Siemens company was in charge of buying, supplying and installing the equipment, while the funding has been provided from a CHF 10.5 million donation from Switzerland.

Acting CEO of the Electric Power Company of Serbia (EPS) Aleksandar Obradovic said at a press conference that the modernization of the control system would increase TENT`s energy efficiency, reduce the emission of harmful gases and improve the reliability of operations.

- Installation of cutting-edge equipment will lead to a reduced consumption of coal and other fuels. The most important effect of this project is a more secure and more stable supply of electricity to customers - said Obradovic.

He pointed out that the concrete results of that project would include a 0.75 percent higher efficiency of power units and 226,000 tonnes less coal consumed per year.

Modernization of the B1 power unit within TENT B is part of a CHF 28.5 million bilateral agreement signed between the governments of Switzerland and Serbia in 2009.

- The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has secured a donation of CHF 10.5 million, whereas EPS has contributed CHF 18 million for the replacement of the control and monitoring system in the B2 power unit, procurement of equipment for both power units and the adaptation of command rooms - Obradovic stressed.

The control and monitoring system in the B2 power unit should soon be modernized in the same way as the one in the B1 power unit.

When asked by eKapija if other announced EUR 1.1 billion investments in the modernization of facilities and environmental protection would be implemented by TENT, Obradovid replied:

- I would like to underline that every investment will be implemented if it proves to be profitable. We have provided funds for new investments, but every project must pass a rigorous check. The only parameter for new investments is profitability.

Reto Nauli, vice president of Siemens Switzerland, said that the key to successful implementation of that significant project lay in quality work and good coordination of expert teams of Siemens, TENT and EPS, which had been successfully working together for many years.

(Aleksandar Obradovic and Reto Nauli)

- We will support all future steps in the modernization process, and the next phase should commence in 2015. Siemens was working with companies from Serbia on the control and monitoring system modernization project. Among them are Informatika, Termoenel, Termomont, Hidraulika – Nauli told eKapija.

Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Jean Daniel Ruch said on that occasion that Switzerland had contributed EUR 32 million to the energy sector of Serbia in the period 1999-2013.

Ruch also noted that good cooperation between Serbia and Switzerland would be maintained, adding that they were working on a cooperation strategy for the period between 2013 and 2017.

- The plan is to set aside CHF 15 million every year for investment in the energy sector, good management and Serbia's economic development - he stressed.

S.O.