In 2023, SO2 emissions from the NERP coal power plants in Serbia increased compared to the previous two years, as they emitted 5.4 times as much SO2 as allowed under the NERP ceiling.

In absolute numbers, the SO2 emissions of the 14 coal-fired units included in the NERP amounted to 296,011 tonnes; the 2023 ceiling in the NERP for 18 large combustion plants is set at a maximum of 54,575 tonnes. This is a bit lower than in the period from 2018 to 2020 but higher than in 2021 and 2022. 

On the plant level, the most staggering increase was at the Nikola Tesla B plant (B1 and B2), which ran for only 58 more hours than in 2022, but whose SO2 emissions increased from 73,012 tonnes to a jaw-dropping 92,260 tonnes, making it the second worst absolute SO2 emitter in the region after Ugljevik.

Although Kostolac B’s desulphurisation equipment finally received an operating permit in January 2023, it brought little relief. In 2023, the plant emitted 45,803 tonnes of SO2 – nearly 10,000 more tonnes than in 2022, despite a similar number of operating hours. This represented 5.76 times more than it was allowed to emit under its NERP ceiling. 

Dust emissions are within Serbia’s national NERP ceiling and have been gradually declining since 2018. However, in 2023 Kostolac A2 emitted 1.5 times its individual ceiling, and Nikola Tesla A1-A3 emitted over 1.4 times more than allowed. The Vreoci heating plant also exceeded its individual ceiling, emitting 2.9 times more than allowed.

NOx emissions in Serbia saw a slight increase in 2023 compared to the downward trend observed in all previous years. Coupled with a decrease of the overall ceiling, this resulted in a breach of the NOx ceiling, with emissions at 1.13 times as much as allowed. At this pace, Serbia may be set for a new infringement procedure by the Energy Community Secretariat for failing to comply with its NOx ceiling, in addition to the existing dispute opened in 2021 for non compliance with its SO2 ceiling.