EU invested 4.4 million euros in the Revitalisation and Modernisation of the Uzice District Heating System project
EU invested 4.4 million euros in the Revitalisation and Modernisation of the Uzice District Heating System project, helping the city to get a modern heating system. Since 2000, the Union has invested around half a million euros in the Serbian energy sector.
Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Serbia Vincent Degert and Mayor of Uzice Jovan Markovic have officially put into operation a boiler plant Lipa, a part of the Uzice District Heating Plant, under the revitalisation and modernisation project in which the European Union (EU) has invested 4.4 million euros. The opening of the plant marked the end of the reconstruction of district heating in Uzice.
At the ceremony in Uzice, Ambassador Degert said that the EU planned to donate around a million euros to Serbia in the next five years. The assistance will be targeted at various areas: from agriculture, infrastructure and energy to the public administration reform. According to him, this proves that the EU invests in Serbia and its regions, and it will continue to do so in order to help the European integration process in the country.
.Degert recalled that since 2000, the Union had invested in Serbia around half a million euros. Over 22 million euros were invested in the district heating projects in Subotica, Pancevo, Valjevo, Cacak and Uzice.
Degert said that the revitalisation project in Uzice would bring improvements in the energy efficiency and the quality of life of the people living in the region. Degert was pleased that the project was finalised and he thanked the Mayor, the contractors and the District Heating Plant employees for their achievements.
Jovan Markovic, the Mayor of Uzice, thanked Ambassador Degert and the EU for the assistance in the reconstruction of the boiler plant and recalled that the Union had invested over 14.5 million euros in Uzice over the past few years. Markovic pointed out that, thanks to this project, the city would get long-term energy efficiency and stability, save some 15 per cent annually and the air pollution – the main problem of the city – would be reduced.
.EU invested 4.4 million euros in the Uzice district heating system, 3 million in the Medical Centre Uzice, 3.8 million euros in the regional sanitary refuse dump, and 1.5 million euros in the education-related projects.
Thanks to the project Revitalisation and Modernisation of the Uzice District Heating System, a new 24 MW boiler plant (using both crude oil and natural gas as fuel) was built in the residential area “Lipa”, a new gas boiler plant was built in the residential area “Aleksica most”, conversion of the boiler plant in the residential area “Senjak” was finalised and boiler plants in Sevojno, Krcagovo and “Zlatibor” block were converted.
In addition, reconstruction of some three kilometres of outdated heating pipeline network were reconstructed and 78 substations were fully modernised by installing regulators and heat measuring equipment which will enable pay-per-use billing.
At the start of this heating season with the new and modernised system, higher productivity and a higher level of environment protection have been ensured. Reduction of the air pollution has been achieved as old boilers were replaced with the new boilers and burners, thus considerably improving energy efficiency