Increase in price of electricity by 10% on February 1st - price of gas to stay at current level

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Mining, Dušan Mrakić, said that the price of electricity would be increased by 10% on February 1st, 2010, while the price of gas would remain at the current level. He estimated that, thanks to gas reserves, there would be no problems with supply of gas to consumers in 2010.

Mrakić said that he did not expect the prices of fuels in Serbia to be increased in 2010 since lowering of the excise tax on fuel was in the pipeline.

Mrakić announced commencement of construction of the factory for processing waste and production of electricity in Užice in early 2010, and there is also a possibility of construction of the same factory in Priboj, where public utility waste from regional landfill for Priboj, Prijepolje, Nova Varoš and Sjenica will be used.

- After nearly all licenses have been issued in the municipality of Priboj, construction of three mini hydroelectric power plants on the Ljutina river, 10 MW each, should start already at the beginning of the next year, as well as construction of 15 MW hydroelectric power plant on the Lim river - it was said at the meeting between Mrakić, the representatives of Italian company "Hydro one" and Serbian company "Helion" and the officials of the municipality of Priboj.

Construction of mini power plants on the Ljutina river, worth about 24m EUR, should start in early 2010, and the plan is to put them in operation in mid-2012. Italian "Hydro one" also plans to start construction of mini power plant of about 3.5 MW on the Uvac river near Priboj in 2010.