Investors want to have a steam power plant built in Štavalj

Minister of Energy and Mining of Serbia, Petar Škundrić, said today (August 6, 2009) that there were investors interested in construction of steam power plant in Štavalj.

- There are several investors who are interested in underground coal exploitation in Štavalj and construction of a steam power plant - Škundrić said at the meeting with the representatives of miners in the Ministry of Energy, which was occasioned by August 6th, the Day of Miners of Serbia.

Minister said that certain variants of restructuring underground coal exploitation and construction of new power production capacities, which would permanently resolve the problem of economic unprofitability of underground coal mines, were taken in serious consideration.

According to his words, restructuring process would create opportunity for centering several mines around existing steam power plant "Morava" in order to make them profitable.

- It has been agreed with the Prime Minister that the problem of underground coal exploitation should be resolved in a systematic way - said Škundrić, who came back from his vacation to meet the miners.

He announced that the talks with potential investors about exploitation of jadarit mineral would start around August 20th. It is interesting that Serbia has one of the largest deposits of jadarit in Europe.

Škundrić pointed out that the state would maintain strategic partnership with investors in all of the deals.

- We are not going to let the investor take care of the destiny of miners and mining wealth of Serbia by himself - said he.

Škudrić promised the miners that the Ministry and the Government would try to solve the problems concerning the payment of debts for medical insurance of underground exploitation miners and other social allowances in as short time as possible and in the best possible way.