Šoštanj, the only remaining coal-fired power station in Slovenia, will likely only be operational in case of electricity shortages and high market prices until it is removed from the grid per the country’s coal plan to phase out coal by 2033, according to a senior energy executive.

Šoštanj accounts for about a third of Slovenia’s total domestic energy production but has been struggling due to poor production at the nearby Velenje coal mine, its principal source of coal, high prices of emission coupons, and frequent maintenance shutdowns.

“If the electricity generated by the thermal plant is expensive, we have to ask ourselves how many hours of operation are reasonable and economically viable,” Tomaž Štokelj, the CEO of HSE, the energy group which owns Šoštanj, told Dnevnik this weekend.

Štokelj cannot imagine Slovenia’s energy supply without Šoštanj in the short term, “but if we must burn expensive coal and buy costly [emission] coupons, the electricity it generates cannot be cheap.”

The executive believes plans for a modern multi-fuel boiler that can burn biomass and other alternative fuels should be set in motion as soon as possible. Since Šoštanj is the source of district heating for several thousand households, this would make it possible to provide affordable heat and generate electricity at affordable prices.

Slovenia plans to phase out coal in 2033, a date Štokelj understands as an “approximate target”. “Whether it will be sooner or later will depend on the situation on the market and the demand for Šoštanj operations,” he said.

(Ela Petrovčič | sta.si)

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