Nikola Tesla power station

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Nikola Tesla power station is an operating power station of at least 3066-megawatts (MW) in Urovci, Obrenovac, Beograd, Serbia with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as TENT B3 (Phase B Unit 3), TENT B4 (Phase B Unit 4).

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Nikola Tesla power station Urovci, Obrenovac, Beograd, Serbia 44.671341, 20.158418 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

  • Phase A Unit 4, Phase A Unit 3, Phase A Unit 2, Phase A Unit 5, Phase A Unit 1, Phase A Unit 6: 44.671341, 20.158418
  • Phase B Unit 2, Phase B Unit 1: 44.653833, 20.004848
  • Phase B Unit 3, Phase B Unit 4: 44.670637, 20.158321

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name Status Fuel(s) Capacity (MW) Technology Start year Retired year
Phase A Unit 4 operating coal - lignite 329 subcritical 1978
Phase B Unit 2 operating coal - lignite 650 subcritical 1985
Phase B Unit 1 operating coal - lignite 650 subcritical 1983
Phase A Unit 3 operating coal - lignite 329 subcritical 1976
Phase A Unit 2 operating coal - lignite 210 subcritical 1970 2027 (planned)
Phase A Unit 5 operating coal - lignite 340 subcritical 1979
Phase B Unit 3 cancelled coal - lignite 375 supercritical
Phase A Unit 1 operating coal - lignite 210 subcritical 1970 2027 (planned)
Phase B Unit 4 cancelled coal - lignite 375 supercritical
Phase A Unit 6 operating coal - lignite 348 subcritical 1979

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name Owner
Phase A Unit 4 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]
Phase B Unit 2 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]
Phase B Unit 1 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 3 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 2 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 5 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]
Phase B Unit 3 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 1 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]
Phase B Unit 4 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 6 Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD (EPS) [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

  • Coal source(s): Kolubara District coal basin

Background

The EPS subsidiary operates the TPP Nikola Tesla Power Plant complex which comprises the Nikola Tesla A station and Nikola Tesla B power station. The plant was commissioned from 1970 to 1985.[1][2]

By far the largest coal plant in Serbia, the complex provides approximately 47 percent of the total capacity of the electric power system of Serbia. The complex and two of its plants are named in honour of Nikola Tesla, a Serbian electrical engineer and inventor.[3]

In November 2022, the Higher Court in Belgrade ruled in favor of the Renewables and Environmental Regulatory Institute (RERI), ordering that Elektroprivreda Srbije must cut sulphur dioxide emissions at its coal power plants. Nikola Tesla power station was among those impacted. The court utilized medical evidence stating that sulphur dioxide can cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The lawsuit was filed by RERI in January 2021.[4]

Capacity and Units

The complex has two power stations:[5]

  • TPP Nikola Tesla A - Six generation units with a combined capacity of 1,766 MW. [6][7] TPP Nikola Tesla A was first synchronised on March 27, 1970. Six months later, block A2 of 210 MW was added. The construction continued after five years, and by the end of 1979, the Serbian electricity industry was strengthened with four more blocks of 308.5 MW. During the revitalization of the facilities of the TENT Branch, from 2002 to 2015, the power of blocks A3, A5 and A6 was increased.[7] It appears that the power of block A4 was increased as well to 329 MW.
  • TPP Nikola Tesla B - two 620 MW generation units with a total capacity of 1,240 MW. TPP Nikola Tesla B was first synchronised on March 11, 1983. Its chimney is 280 metres tall. It appears that the capacity of the units has been increased later on as EPS now reports that the two blocks have capacity of 650MW each and total of 1300 MW.[8][7]


In 2022, Plant A produced 7,824 GWh of electricity and Plant B produced 6,584 GWh.[9]

Coal Phase Out

In February 2023, EPS stated that it will shut down Units 1A and 1B by 2027 totalling 420 MW of capacity.[10]

Fuel source

The power plants use lignite coal mined from the Kolubara District basin as fuel. Coal is transported from the mines via rail transport, supplying a total of 37 million tons of coal a year.[3] Coal for the plant is supplied by an EPS subsidiary, MB Kolubara plc, which operates four coal mines -- the Polje B mine, the Polje D mine, the Tamnava Istok mine and the Tamnava Zapad mine.[11]

In July 2022, Elektroprivreda Srbije was considering co-firing at the power station with treated waste, also known as solid recovered fuel (SRF). A call for bids on the alternate fuel design was open until August 16, 2022 and was to be completed within eight months.[12]

Past Expansion Plans

On June 30, 2011, Serbia's state-run power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and Italy's Edison signed a preliminary deal to jointly develop two coal-fired generating units in Serbia generating a combined 750 megawatts. Edison pledged to build the units. A feasibility study was expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012. They gave no estimation of the cost.[13]

Under the proposal, Edison offered EPS a 36.4 percent stake in the new company; EPS had invested 300 million euros ($424.8 million) in 1988 until putting the construction on hold due to lack of funds.[13]

On October 20, 2011, EPS said it had signed a preliminary deal with a Chinese consortium to jointly build a 744 megawatt coal-fired unit at an estimated cost of more than 2 billion euros ($2.7 billion). Under the deal, a consortium that includes China Environmental Energy Holdings and Shenzhen Energy, and EPS, will form a joint venture for the future project in the southwestern town of Obrenovac, part of its TPP Nikola Tesla Power Plant power complex. An upgrade of the Radeljevo coal mine will feed the plant.[14]

The project was mentioned as potential in the new energy strategy of Serbia approved by the government in May 2015 and was awaiting approval from the parliament (as of July 7, 2015).

As of 2015, administrative permits for the project expired, so the project promoters would have to apply for a new ones.[15]

Articles and Resources

References

  1. "Coal-Fired Plants in Serbia," Industcards, accessed April 2016
  2. Elektroprivreda Srbije, "Facilities for electric power generation: Thermal Power Plants: Economic Assosiation "Thermal Power Plants Nikola Tesla" plc", Elektroprivreda Srbije website, accessed July 2011.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Facilities for electric power generation" Elektroprivreda Srbije website, accessed July 2011.
  4. "Court orders EPS to reduce emissions from its thermal plants" Serbian Monitor, November 24, 2022.
  5. "Facilities for electric power generation" Elektroprivreda Srbije website, accessed July 2011.
  6. "Thermal power plants". eps.rs. unknown. Retrieved June 2023. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= and |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Производни капацитети". www.eps.rs. unknown. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Thermal Power Plants". www.eps.rs. unknown. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "Technical report 2022" (PDF). www.eps.rs. 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "EPS sets out plan for shutting down coal power plants". balkangreenenergynews.com. February 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. Elektroprivreda Srbije, "About Us: Basic Data: Economic Assosiation for Coal Production, processing and Transport MB Kolubara plc", Elektroprivreda Srbije website, accessed July 2011.
  12. "EPS intends to co-incinerate waste in two coal power plants" Balkan Green Energy News, July 12, 2022.
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Serbia EPS, Italy Edison in 750 MW coal-fired project" Reuters, June 30, 2011.
  14. Maja Zuvela, "Serbia, China sign deal for coal plant, mine" Reuters, Oct. 20, 2011.
  15. Conversation with local activists, June 2015

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.