Brestanica Thermal Plant inaugurates new gas-fired unit
Brestanica - The Brestanica Thermal Plant (TEB) inaugurated its seventh gas unit on Monday in an investment that Prime Minister Janez Janša said further established the Posavje region as "Slovenia's major energy region". He finds it important that the new unit is environmentally acceptable and economically efficient.
In his address to the ceremony, Janša noted TEB's important role in securing the stability of the national electricity supply system. The new investment is thus an "important part of the national and European critical infrastructure, considering that European power grids are interconnected".
While the new unit affirms Posavje in the east of the country as Slovenia's major energy region, "investments that will have to follow in the coming decades, a potential second reactor of the nuclear power plant, will enhance that further", Janša said, referring to the Krško N-plant in the same region.
He noted the increasing importance of electricity production and important decisions to be taken about the future supply in Slovenia and Europe. He said a major reorganisation in supply would be needed to move to carbon neutrality, which he said would be a major challenge.
The effort would entail much coordination yet at the EU level. The European Commission is to release in mid-July a proposal of national contributions to climate goals, but not all countries have the same starting points or possibilities, so an agreement on a just transition would he needed, he said.
Janša does not see any realistic chances of reaching the set carbon neutrality goals without nuclear energy.
TEB director Tomislav Malgaj said the plant would continue to provide its main mission, which is to supply reserve power in case of outages in the Slovenian energy system.
The 56-megawatt Unit 7 today joined the 53-megawatt Unit 6, which has been in operation since 2018. Together they will replace three 23-megawatt gas units built in the mid-1970s whose life span is running out.
Construction of Unit 7 began in July 2019. The investment is valued at EUR 26.4 million.
TEB is one of the oldest operational power stations in Slovenia. It is part of the energy group GEN.