Djedovic: Priority Is to Get Through Winter, to Ensure That Homes Are Warm and to Have Electricity

Snow in Belgrade, Serbia(BETAPHOTO/MILAN TIMOTIC/EV)

Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic said on Oct. 31 that the priority during the government's first 100 days in office would be to ensure energy supply security and stability, i.e. to get through the upcoming winter and to make sure that citizens' homes were warm and had an uninterrupted electricity supply.

"I will also focus on us having a good, continuous production of electricity, on running our energy companies well, on initiating, carrying out and overseeing all the investments we need to ensure that citizens have a stable energy supply," the minister told state television RTS.

According to her, "the heating plants are ready, there is enough fuel, the natural gas storage facilities are full, there is coal, we are doing well with hydropower capacities, so citizens can rest assured that their homes will be warm."

"Whether there will be any fuel imports during the winter depends on how high the production is, how [high] the consumption [is] and how high the prices are on the global market. Our reserves are full of fuels, we can buy more when the prices are lower and then save for unpredictable situations," said the minister and reiterated that there were no plans for raising the prices of electricity and gas, and that the government subsidized both.

Speaking of an announced investment of EUR12 billion in energy, Djedovic said that it was important to complete Block 3 at the Kostolac thermal power plant and a gas interconnector with Bulgaria, adding that an interconnector was being built with North Macedonia as well.