Renewable energy sources are a topic that has been discussed more and more frequently in our country in recent years. Despite this, the implementation is very poor. The reason for this, according to energy experts, is that electric companies do not develop projects of renewable energy sources, as well as the fact that until recently two out of three electric companies in our country allocated significant amounts of money to thermal energy capacities.
Bad hydrology in the middle of last year caused power companies that produce electricity through hydroelectric power plants to face austerity measures that ultimately brought losses. Thus, Elektroprivreda of the Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna achieved a negative business result, but it was, as they say, expected.
Due to weather conditions, the loss will be compensated
“In the second quarter of last year, we had the beginning of an extreme drought and we already knew then that we would have a negative business result. If we add to that the global energy crisis, then that is one more reason,” said Marija Buntić, spokesperson of the EP HZHB.
Due to the negative annual business in the power companies, the story about the possible collapse of these companies has been emphasized
Underutilized natural capacity
“Our company is now working in the best operational readiness. Regardless of the extremely high prices of energy products in general, globally, the liquidity of our company was never, nor is it now, in question. A collapse for Elektroprivreda cannot exist at all”, stressed Buntić.
“None of the three electricity companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina can get into a position of long-term negative business, that is, collapse, because the prices of electric energy for domestic consumption are so low that there is justification if the electric companies get into such a position that they raise energy prices and that way they stabilize their business”, believes Mirza Kušljugić, president of the Board of Directors of the Center for Sustainable Energy Transition ReSET.
The Director of Elektroprivreda Republika Srpska says that due to the decreasing number of stable sources of electricity, they are turning to renewable energy sources.
“Since we split into several power companies, there is a possibility of establishing an associated energy community through which we could delegate problems but also solve them in a common way so that no one is harmed, so that no one has negative effects, but, I am sure, in such an energy community we can derive profitability and stability and independence in terms of energy,” said Luka Petrović, general director of Elektroprivreda Republika Srpska.
Investing in renewable energy sources
At the same time, private individuals have been investing in solar and wind power plants in large numbers in recent years. Two wind and one large solar power plant are currently under construction.
Private and foreign investors lease land
“If the electricity companies do not soon start to develop renewable energy sources more aggressively and faster, above all those that are created the fastest – solar and then wind, there is a danger that in this process all the best locations and the transmission network will be occupied by private investors”, Mirza Kušljugić, President of the Board of Directors of the Center for Sustainable Energy.
This, says Kušljugić, could result in domestic consumption remaining risky since private individuals are driven solely by profit. Ultimately, the most important thing for every end user is that electricity prices do not rise.
