Coal transport from Kolubara to TENT resumes

Coal transport from Kolubara to TENT resumes

The departure of the train loaded with 21 tons of coal was attended by Minister of Energy and Mining Aleksandar Antić who said that experts are doing all they can to make sure TENT A resumes operation on Sunday.

He announced that the daily coal transport from the Kolubara basin would increase in a few days from 8,000 to 10,000 tons and would reach 30,000 tons in ten days from now because one excavator tape-tray system would soon be put into use in Kolubara.

The usual daily delivery of the Kolubara mining basin in this time of year totals 40,000-60,000 tons of coal, the minister said.

”This is a major success for Kolubara and the entire electric power system in Serbia, and it was achieved thanks to the super-human efforts of the employees in the Kolubara basin and the Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) and the help of all individuals who participated in the flood defense at the EPS plants,” Antic stated.

He expressed the satisfaction that the recovery of the country was launched in Kolubara in the Belgrade municipality of Lazarevac.

”If we manage to resume operation in TENT A on Sunday, this will be the final sign that we have managed to preserve Serbia's electric power system,” the minister noted.

He stated that the situation in the power plant area has stabilised but the danger will not be completely eliminated for as long as the risks of the Sava River overflowing still remain high.

Antic announced that the Veliki Crljeni coal seam will begin operating in Kolubara in several months' time, adding that the seam is still under water and that the countries with extensive experience and technology have been asked to help drain around 200 million cubic meters of water in Tamnava-West Field which practically turned into an artificial lake during the floods.

If the battle for the stability of the electric energy system is conducted in thermal power plants, then the struggle for the future of the energy system is taking place in Kolubara, EPS acting director Aleksandar Obradović said.

He noted that 70 per cent of the electric energy in Serbia is produced in thermal power plants and one third of the production is ensured with the help of the coal extracted in the Kolubara mining basin.

Kolubara Director Milorad Grčić noted that the resumption of coal transport is an important day for Kolubara and entire Serbia, and recalled that only a week ago, water two meters high covered the place from which the railway wagons loaded with coal departed on Thursday and all the machines were submerged in the flood up until recently.