First electricity purchase agreement signed with company other than EPS - Slovenia's GEN-I to supply Messer

The Electric Power Company of Serbia (EPS) announced that it would cease to supply the Messer company with electricity as of Friday (8 February 2013) because that company had signed a supply agreement with the Slovenian electricity trader GEN-I.

This example shows that the open electricity market for high-voltage customers has started functioning in Serbia.

All interested companies can now find suppliers other than EPS. Messer is one of the bigger high-voltage customers because this company's consumption accounts for about 5 percent of the total consumption of all customers in the open market, EPS said in a release.

By the way, EPS has signed agreements with 18 out of the total of 26 high-voltage customers because the Energy Law stipulates that all large customers must have electricity supply agreements as of 1 January 2013.

EPS still negotiates with Elektromreza Srbije and the Military and Technical Institute, while another five customers (Serbian Railways, Beogradski Vodovod, HIP Prahovo, Zastava Energetika and Fiat Automobili Srbija) currently use EPS as a temporary spare supplier.

The Serbian government made a decision on January 29th on the appointment of EPS as a temporary spare supplier as of February 1st for all those who have failed to sign agreements, and EPS will serve as a temporary spare supplier until a tender for spare suppliers is announced.