Power cuts begin for large consumers

Serbia's state-run power company EPS started implementing a government order to cut the power to industrial consumers who are not vital for the public interest. EPS Assistant Director Zoran Manasijevic told reporters in Belgrade on Thursday that those companies whose operation requires a certain time to shut down can be an exception to this, but they will also be cut off eventually. Power cuts begin for large consumers For the time being, there will be interruption in the supply of electricity to private households, it was also said. The situation at the Kolubara mining complex has been critical since Thursday morning, because a temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius froze machines and made coal transport extremely difficult, he pointed out. The appeals from the highest national authorities and EPS officials failed to improve the situation, because consumption in Serbia, together with Kosovo, reached 162.67 million kWh on Wednesday, Manasijevic stated. At the same time, the import of electricity reached its limit because of the difficult situation in the whole region, but also caused by the inability to transport larger quantities of energy, said Manasijevic, who is also the head of the headquarters for monitoring the power situation during the state of emergency in the country. The government decided on Wednesday to limit power supply to certain institutions and companies that are large consumers while not serving a vital everyday interest. There will be no power cuts for the citizens and institutions that provide vital services (heating plants, hospitals, waterworks, food companies and the like), according to a statement. Local governments were ordered to turn off the lighting that serves for decoration and advertising. Around 2,000 companies will lose power within the next 12 to 24 hours, while homes will, for now, be excluded from these steps, head of the government office for media relations Milivoje Mihajlovic said on Thursday. He told a news conference after a government meeting that EPS would not cut off those companies and facilities that provide vital services for the nation. The government called on consumers to save power, Mihajlovic noted, adding that no power cuts for homes were expected. (Electrical Network of Serbia (EMS)/Beta, file) Tanjug

Power cuts begin for large consumers

For the time being, there will be interruption in the supply of electricity to private households, it was also said.

The situation at the Kolubara mining complex has been critical since Thursday morning, because a temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius froze machines and made coal transport extremely difficult, he pointed out.

The appeals from the highest national authorities and EPS officials failed to improve the situation, because consumption in Serbia, together with Kosovo, reached 162.67 million kWh on Wednesday, Manasijević stated.

At the same time, the import of electricity reached its limit because of the difficult situation in the whole region, but also caused by the inability to transport larger quantities of energy, said Manasijević, who is also the head of the headquarters for monitoring the power situation during the state of emergency in the country.

The government decided on Wednesday to limit power supply to certain institutions and companies that are large consumers while not serving a vital everyday interest.

There will be no power cuts for the citizens and institutions that provide vital services (heating plants, hospitals, waterworks, food companies and the like), according to a statement.

Local governments were ordered to turn off the lighting that serves for decoration and advertising.

Around 2,000 companies will lose power within the next 12 to 24 hours, while homes will, for now, be excluded from these steps, head of the government office for media relations Milivoje Mihajlović said on Thursday.

He told a news conference after a government meeting that EPS would not cut off those companies and facilities that provide vital services for the nation.

The government called on consumers to save power, Mihajlović noted, adding that no power cuts for homes were expected.