Republika Srpska Minister of Energy and Mining Petar Đokić met in Banja Luka with a delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), comprising representatives from the agency’s headquarters in Japan and its office in Belgrade.
The meeting focused on securing conditions for the stable operation of the Ugljevik Mine and Thermal Power Plant (RiTE Ugljevik), bringing the Ugljevik East 2 coal deposit into operation, and the future of the flue gas desulfurization facility.
The meeting was also attended by RiTE Ugljevik Director Žarko Novaković, desulfurization project manager Zlatko Malović, and Borivoje Vujičić, Director of the Electricity Production Directorate at Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske.
Participants emphasized that the Republika Srpska Government’s acquisition of coal exploitation concession rights for the Ugljevik East 2 deposit from Comsar Energy Republika Srpska had created an important prerequisite for securing sufficient quantities of higher-quality coal in the future.
“In the coming period, it is necessary to accelerate the resolution of property and legal issues, the relocation of the access road, and the procurement of the necessary machinery,” the Ministry of Energy and Mining said in a statement.
The discussions also addressed the future of the flue gas desulfurization facility, constructed with support from the Government of Japan through a loan worth approximately €85 million.
The facility, the only one of its kind in BiH, enables a reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions of approximately 98 percent. Its operation is directly dependent on the functioning of the thermal power plant.
“With the construction of this facility, the Ugljevik Thermal Power Plant has met the strictest environmental requirements concerning harmful gas emissions. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of continuing cooperation between Republika Srpska and Japan. The successful implementation of the desulfurization project represents an important example of cooperation and provides a foundation for jointly addressing existing challenges,” the ministry stated.
JICA representatives expressed their readiness to provide technical assistance in identifying possible solutions and to coordinate activities with the relevant institutions of Republika Srpska.
The agency also confirmed its commitment to remaining actively involved in the process through continued communication and coordination with all relevant institutions, with the aim of overcoming current challenges and identifying sustainable solutions.
Đokić emphasized that Republika Srpska remains committed to preserving RiTE Ugljevik’s production capacities and ensuring the stability of domestic electricity generation, while also creating conditions to safeguard significant investments implemented in cooperation with Japan.
Source: RTRS
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