Federal Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry Vedran Lakić held a meeting today with the management of Kreka Coal Mine Tuzla and with representatives of “Elektroprivreda BiH”.
“The ministry is visiting all the mines belonging to Elektroprivreda BiH. First, we provide support in future work, but production is very important to us for the next period. After Zenica and Kakanj, today we are in Tuzla, and here we have come to good ground and where we have good results I commend director Elnur Dizdarevic because what they found was discouraging, but they managed to raise production,” said Minister Lakić.
He points out that the synergy between the administration and the trade union is very important. As he assessed, the union has done a lot to improve the atmosphere among the workers.
“This should not create euphoria because this is a good trend that should increase to reach the former state,” Lakić believes.
He said that the ministry’s focus is on binding seniority, stating that they allocated 40 million BAM for taking care of miners in Zenica, increased coal prices and wages in mining, and in return “Elektroprivreda BiH” did not receive increased coal production.
“What I can say is that in Kreka in January 2023 we were at 30,000 tons, and now we are at 100,000 tons. I repeat, this is not enough, but the trends are positive and send a message that the energy sector can survive. Currently we are not even to 50 percent of the required coal production,” he says.
Coal production is crucial because without enough coal there is not enough electricity. Bosnia and Herzegovina was an exporting country, and now the supply of the market in Bosnia and Herzegovina has come under question.
“The key factor whether there is electricity to sell or not, for it to exist there must be coal in the thermal power plant. If the production level is low the complete cycle cannot be closed. If we do not produce energy then we have to save it. Inherited state from the previous period is bad and we have to fix it,” underlined Lakić.
The director of Rudnik Kreka, Elnur Dizdarević, says that the trends in that mine are good and that the goal is 150,000 tons of coal per month.
“In that case, we would achieve a sustainable ongoing business. Of course, investments are necessary, but with a good organization, I believe we can achieve the set goals,” said director Dizdarević.
Currently, 1,700 workers work in Kreka Mine, and 300 more are needed, Fena reports.
