Loading coal on one of the firewood loaders in Nis. (BETAPHOTO/SASA DJORDJEVIC)
Nikola Rajakovic, a professor at the School of Electrical Engineering, the University of Belgrade, on Aug. 11 said that the situation in Serbia’s energy sector is delicate, adding that fuel prices will certainly go up and that Serbia can break free from coal, but that the energy transition would require investments worth between USD15 and 20 billion.
“Due to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, stocks of diesel fuel are running low in Europe. Since March, they have dropped by 30 percent, while the period for filling up the stocks for the winter is approaching. At the moment, Serbia is facing difficulties in procurement of diesel fuel as tankers carrying oil and other fuels are stranded due to low water levels of rivers,” Rajakovic told the RTS public broadcaster.
Asked whether Serbia could stop burning coal for energy by 2050, Rajakovic replied affirmatively.
“My answer is yes. I am optimistic and I mean it very seriously. All analysis show that it is possible, but such a shift requires strong infrastructure which can store a lot of energy, which we will produce from solar, wind and water power. We must also introduce some new technologies, such as hydrogen, and we will see if nuclear plants will be needed,” Rajakovic specified.
The professor also said that he would like to see Serbia shift to green energy without nuclear power plants, but noted that this option should not be a priori ruled out.
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