“The draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) finally looks to the future, does not plan new fossil fuel power plants, and significantly reduces unrealistic hydropower plant plans. But the existing coal-fired power plants will continue to operate illegally, and the draft is secretive about plans to convert coal into biomass,” is a comment on the Draft NECP of BiH, announced by the international NGO for environmental protection Bankwatch Network.
Good – no new fossil fuel plants
Despite the significant potential in solar energy and wind energy, the governments of the Federation of BiH (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS) have relentlessly pushed for the construction of new coal-fired thermal power plants such as Tuzla 7 and Ugljevik III – as well as decades-old hydroelectric power plants in very sensitive locations – whose sales deadline has long passed.
These dinosaurs have put a heavy burden on the previous energy planning and left little room for new ideas. But the NECP draft finally looks like it was written in the 21st century: it is stated that there will be no new power plants on fossil fuels – coal or gas. This is a significant step that must be kept in the final version of the NECP, it is pointed out.
Bad – illegal coal-fired power plants
The draft does not hide the fact that coal-fired units Tuzla 4 and Kakanj 5, which pollute the environment heavily, will continue to operate after the end of their permitted lifetime. No information has been provided on pollution control investments in other units, making it highly likely that they plan to continue operating at the current appalling levels of pollution.
“Our latest ‘Comply or Close’ report shows that in 2022, sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired units included in the BiH NECP reached more than eight times higher than permitted. Dust emissions from Gacko were even 12 times higher than permitted. This situation simply cannot be allowed to continue until 2030. Given that this is a matter of life and death, power plants must comply or close – and the NECP must be clear on how this will happen,” the Bankwatch Network points out.
Mixed signals on fossil gas
The authors of the draft NECP seem to be going back and forth on fossil gas. Still, measures matter, and that’s where there is a mixed picture. Since no new fossil gas power plants are planned, it is puzzling why additional gas interconnectors are still being promoted. Yes, Sarajevo’s heat supply is vulnerable, but building a new gas pipeline all the way from Croatia is certainly not the only solution: better ways of heating the city are also possible.
Gas is just as much a fossil fuel as coal. It will have to be phased out over the next few decades, so it makes no sense to build expensive new gas infrastructure now. Once a particular fuel is entrenched in the energy mix, it takes decades and decades to move away from it. NECP must therefore be much more determined in reducing gas demand, rather than building expensive infrastructure to meet and expand it.
The way forward
The positive elements of the draft – especially stopping new fossil fuel power plants and the emission trading scheme – must be kept, but biomass is the elephant in the room. The draft itself admits that additional research is needed on the availability of biomass in BiH, so it is extremely unwise to rely on it.
Plans to build new gas pipelines seem to exist more out of inertia than because the NECP really depends on them, but still – alternatives should be explored.
But overall, the Draft is a good start. If improved as proposed, it can provide a solid basis for BiH to finally move forward with its energy transition, Buka reports.
E.Dz.
