Serbia's energy future cannot neglect green energy
The transition to clean energy sources, energy efficiency and the impact of the crisis caused by the armed conflict in Ukraine on the domestic energy sector were just some of the central topics of today's session of NALED’s Property and Investment Alliance. Along with the members of this working body, representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Mining, led by State Secretary Jovanka Atanackovic, also took part in the discussion.
- The situation in Ukraine is something that has caught the whole world off guard and, like any crisis, has exposed its weak points, but what is also a fact is that no country, not even Serbia, has given up on green development. Moreover, I can say that with the new legal framework in the field of energy, our country has almost visionarily managed to create a solution to the current situation. In that sense, the war in Ukraine did not disrupt our plans, it only showed us that we must be faster in everything we do. As before, only public-private dialogue can help us in that, and on this occasion I want to thank NALED for everything we have done in the past period - said Atanacković.
When it comes to measures that can stimulate businesses to switch to green energy, Atanacković points out that it is first necessary for the state to simplify all necessary procedures. As he says, the decree on the buyer to the producer brought certain novelties - if the production facility has an installed capacity of up to 50 kilowatts, there is no need to obtain permits from the Ministry of Construction.
However, at a time when energy security is at stake, we need to be open to clean energy sources, not just green. According to Atanackovic, there is still a moratorium on the construction of small nuclear power plants in Serbia, although we can see from the example of other countries that nuclear energy is one of the possible solutions for achieving energy independence.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Energy announced the digitalization of all procedures in this area, and at the meeting itself, the work of the electronic system of public bidding - eAuction - was demonstrated. As explained, the quota is 400 kW, the Energy Agency determines the initial price below which investors compete, and the ministry announces an open call and organizes an auction after 45 days.
The Property and Investments Alliance used the moment to announce an initiative with the Ministry of Energy, which includes the formation of a panel of users to improve the process of connecting to the electricity network. It is an informal body that would meet, exchange experiences, give suggestions for improving the accession procedure, shortening deadlines and the like. The body would include the competent authority, holders of public authority, investors and associations for the protection of consumer rights.
The patron and host of the meeting was the Embassy of Norway, a leading country in the field of production and consumption of green energy. As it was pointed out at the meeting, in this Scandinavian country, as much as 56% of energy comes from renewable sources. According to Ambassador Jorn Eugen Jelstad, the energy sector is very important for Norway, and they are happy to share their experiences with Serbia. For that purpose, several conferences in the field of circular economy were organized in several Serbian cities. On this occasion, the Ambassador praised the work of NALED in the field of improving the economic environment in Serbia, especially emphasizing the importance of the Grey Book for cutting the red tape.
