Nikola Tesla power station

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Nikola Tesla power station is an operating power station of at least 3066-megawatts (MW) in Urovci, Obrenovac, Beograd, Serbia with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as TENT B4 (Phase B Unit 4), TENT B3 (Phase B Unit 3).

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Nikola Tesla power station	Urovci, Obrenovac, Beograd, Serbia	44.671341, 20.158418 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

• Phase A Unit 1, Phase A Unit 2, Phase A Unit 3, Phase A Unit 4, Phase A Unit 5, Phase A Unit 6: 44.671341, 20.158418
• Phase B Unit 1, Phase B Unit 2: 44.653833, 20.004848
• Phase B Unit 3, Phase B Unit 4: 44.670637, 20.158321

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	Start year	Retired year
Phase A Unit 1	operating	coal: lignite	210	subcritical	1970	2027 (planned)
Phase A Unit 2	operating	coal: lignite	210	subcritical	1970	2027 (planned)
Phase A Unit 3	operating	coal: lignite	329	subcritical	1976	–
Phase A Unit 4	operating	coal: lignite	329	subcritical	1978	–
Phase A Unit 5	operating	coal: lignite	340	subcritical	1979	–
Phase A Unit 6	operating	coal: lignite	348	subcritical	1979	–
Phase B Unit 1	operating	coal: lignite	650	subcritical	1983	–
Phase B Unit 2	operating	coal: lignite	650	subcritical	1985	–
Phase B Unit 3	cancelled	coal: lignite	375	supercritical	–	–
Phase B Unit 4	cancelled	coal: lignite	375	supercritical	–	–

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
Phase A Unit 1	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 2	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 3	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 4	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 5	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]
Phase A Unit 6	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]
Phase B Unit 1	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]
Phase B Unit 2	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]
Phase B Unit 3	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]
Phase B Unit 4	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100%]	Elektroprivreda Srbije Beograd AD [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

• Coal source(s): Kolubara District coal basin

Background

Nikola Tesla Power Plant complex comprises the Nikola Tesla A station and Nikola Tesla B power station. The plant was commissioned between 1970 to 1985.

By far the largest coal plant in Serbia, the complex provides approximately 47 percent of the total capacity of the electric power system of Serbia. The complex and two of its plants are named in honour of Nikola Tesla, a Serbian electrical engineer and inventor.

In November 2022, the Higher Court in Belgrade ruled in favor of the Renewables and Environmental Regulatory Institute (RERI), ordering that Elektroprivreda Srbije must cut sulphur dioxide emissions at its coal power plants. Nikola Tesla power station was among those impacted. The court utilized medical evidence stating that sulphur dioxide can cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The lawsuit was filed by RERI in January 2021.

Capacity and Units

The complex has two power stations:

• TPP Nikola Tesla A - Six generation units with a combined capacity of 1,766 MW. TPP Nikola Tesla A was first synchronised on March 27, 1970. Six months later, block A2 of 210 MW was added. The construction continued after five years, and by the end of 1979, the Serbian electricity industry was strengthened with four more blocks of 308.5 MW. During the revitalization of the facilities of the TENT Branch, from 2002 to 2015, the power of blocks A3, A5 and A6 was increased. It appears that the power of block A4 was increased as well to 329 MW.

• TPP Nikola Tesla B - two 620 MW generation units with a total capacity of 1,240 MW. TPP Nikola Tesla B was first synchronised on March 11, 1983. Its chimney is 280 metres tall. It appears that the capacity of the units has been increased later on as EPS now reports that the two blocks have capacity of 650MW each and total of 1300 MW.

In 2022, Plant A produced 7,824 GWh of electricity and Plant B produced 6,584 GWh.

The project to install Flue Desulphurisation Units (FGDs) Units 3-6 of TENT A started started in 2017 and work was expected to be finished by the end of 2022. As of January 2024, the construction of the FGD units at Units 3-6 was said to be in its final phase, with trial work to begin by April 2024. The project is implemented with financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the contractor is the Japanese company Mitsubishi. In April 2024, the commissioning of the FGD units was completed.

As of TENT B, the project to install FGD units was launched in 2020, with units scheduled to commence operations in 2024. This has then been delayed to the end of 2025. When completed, an overall 90% of Serbia's coal power output would include desulfurization. Nikola Tesla B plant (units B1 and B2) was the worst offender for NOX emissions in absolute terms in the region, as per 'Comply or Close' updated report published by Bankwatch in September 2024. It emitted 1.4 times as much as the individual ceiling, in 2023. The A3-A6 units of Nikola Tesla A emitted much less but still exceeded the plant’s ceiling. Together, these were enough to bring the country into non-compliance with its NOX limits, in 2023.

Coal Phase Out

In February 2023, EPS stated that it will shut down Units 1A and 1B by 2027 totalling 420 MW of capacity. These are the units without FGD units.

However as per Draft Energy Energy Sector Development Strategy up to 2040 published in July 2024, it appeared that units 1A and 1B will continue operation until 2032.

Fuel source

The power plants use lignite coal mined from Kolubara Mine Complex. Coal is transported from the mines via rail transport, supplying a total of 37 million tons of coal a year.

In July 2022, Elektroprivreda Srbije was considering co-firing at the power station with treated waste, also known as solid recovered fuel (SRF). A call for bids on the alternate fuel design was open until August 16, 2022 and was to be completed within eight months.

Past Expansion Plans

On June 30, 2011, Serbia's state-run power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and Italy's Edison signed a preliminary deal to jointly develop two coal-fired generating units in Serbia generating a combined 750 megawatts. Edison pledged to build the units. A feasibility study was expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012. They gave no estimation of the cost.

Under the proposal, Edison offered EPS a 36.4 percent stake in the new company; EPS had invested 300 million euros ($424.8 million) in 1988 until putting the construction on hold due to lack of funds.

On October 20, 2011, EPS said it had signed a preliminary deal with a Chinese consortium to jointly build a 744 megawatt coal-fired unit at an estimated cost of more than 2 billion euros ($2.7 billion). Under the deal, a consortium that includes China Environmental Energy Holdings and Shenzhen Energy, and EPS, will form a joint venture for the future project in the southwestern town of Obrenovac, part of its TPP Nikola Tesla Power Plant power complex. An upgrade of the Radeljevo coal mine will feed the plant.

The project was mentioned as potential in the new energy strategy of Serbia approved by the government in May 2015 and was awaiting approval from the parliament (as of July 7, 2015).

As of 2015, administrative permits for the project expired.

Draft NECP (2023): No New Coal

It was reported in April 2023 that Serbia was soon expected to officially announce its intention to phase out coal as soon as possible or by the end of 2050 at the latest. The obligations to decarbonize and shut down thermal power plants are part of a bill on the ratification of a contract on guarantees for the EUR 300 million loan that Elektroprivreda Srbije secured from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

In July 2023, Serbia’s draft National Energy and Climate Plan was on public consultation. As Bankwatch summarized, no new coal plants seemed to be planned after Kostolac B3, but there was no information about the phase-out timetable for existing plants. In November 2023, Energy Community Secretariat released comments and recommendations on the draft NECP. Serbia should present the final draft by June 2024.

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Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.