For the first time since their inception, the two largest electricity producers in the Republic of Srpska (RS)—the coal-fired thermal power plants Gacko and Ugljevik—will be out of operation simultaneously due to scheduled maintenance.
These plants, which together generate over 65% of RS’s electricity, will be offline starting from May 24 at the earliest until June 5, with the possibility of a longer downtime. During this period, the power utility ERS will need to purchase significant amounts of electricity.
Maintenance at TPP Ugljevik began on April 21 and is scheduled to last 45 days, ending on June 5. However, due to the Easter and May holidays falling within this period, the maintenance may be extended. Meanwhile, TPP Gacko has confirmed that its major overhaul will start on May 24 and last for 70 days, until August 2. This means Gacko’s maintenance will begin about 15 days before Ugljevik’s ends, a situation that has never occurred before.
Typically, major overhauls are performed every five years or after 45,000 hours of operation, while regular maintenance is done annually. It has always been an unwritten rule that one thermal power plant undergoes maintenance only after the other completes its own, and the overlapping maintenance periods are unprecedented. Maksim Skoko, Director of the coalmine and thermal power plant (RiTE) Gacko, stated that the last major overhaul took place in 2019, costing over 9 million euros excluding VAT. With 45,000 hours of operation reached, this year’s general overhaul is scheduled from May 24 to August 2 and is expected to cost over 10 million euros.
RiTE Ugljevik had previously announced that its annual maintenance would begin on April 20 and last 45 days, although it actually started a day later.