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5 clusters · 35 sources · 8 days · First seen · Last updated

Ugljevik Power Plant restart planned amid energy crisis

Overview

The Ugljevik Thermal Power Plant (RiTE Ugljevik) officially ceased electricity production on October 13, 2026, due to a critical coal shortage and exhausted landfill reserves. The crisis stems from unresolved property rights and legal disputes at the ‘Istok dva’ exploitation field, where expropriation processes involving residential buildings and inheritance issues have blocked access to an estimated three million tons of coal.

Beyond the immediate production halt, local communities including Stari Ugljevik, Sarije, Mezgraja, Trnova, and Jablani have reported severe environmental and logistical impacts. The production failure triggered a financial crisis for Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS), which reportedly shifted from a 145 million KM profit to a 30 million KM loss.

On October 19, 2026, the Government of Republika Srpska announced plans to restart RiTE Ugljevik operations within seven to ten days. To ensure winter stability, the government will provide financial support and arrange for urgent coal purchases from alternative sources. To address long-term security, officials plan to implement a new law on strategic infrastructure to accelerate land expropriation for the Ugljevik-Istok 2 mining area, aiming to bypass administrative delays. Additionally, the government intends to acquire new machinery through international agreements.

To manage operational costs and avoid bankruptcy, ERS will receive government support and a 50 million KM credit arrangement. Regarding consumer costs, Milorad Dodik, leader of the SNSD, clarified that electricity prices for residential consumers will not increase at this time, noting that any price leveling would only be considered in March, though prices for the business sector may change.

Entities

RiTE Ugljevik · Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske · Republika Srpska · Žarko Novaković · Ugljevik Thermal Power Plant

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. [BUSINESS] 18 sources
    Ugljevik Thermal Power Plant to resume operations within ten days

    Republika Srpska officials aim to restart the Ugljevik thermal power plant within ten days by securing external coal supplies and implementing new strategic infrastructure laws to resolve mining delays.

  2. [BUSINESS] 3 sources
    Ugljevik power plant halts production amid coal shortages and legal disputes

    RiTE Ugljevik has halted electricity production due to legal disputes blocking coal extraction at the Istok 2 field, causing economic instability and severe living conditions for local residents.

  3. [BUSINESS] 8 sources
    Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske faces potential 50% electricity price hike

    Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske faces a financial crisis and may seek a 50% electricity price hike due to high import costs and production failures at the RiTE Ugljevik thermal plant.

  4. [BUSINESS] 7 sources
    Ugljevik Thermal Power Plant ceases production due to coal shortage

    Ugljevik Thermal Power Plant is halting electricity production due to a coal shortage caused by unresolved property disputes at the ‘Istok dva’ mining field.

  5. [BUSINESS] 4 sources
    Ugljevik Thermal Power Plant suspends work due to coal shortage

    RiTE Ugljevik has suspended electricity production due to a severe coal shortage and financial instability, including blocked accounts and unresolved legal issues at the Istok 2 mine.

Sources

072info.com · 6yka.com · argumenti.rs · banjaluka.net · beta.rs · bigportal.ba · bijeljina.com · biznisinfo.ba · danas.rs · depo.ba · energetika.ba · frontal.ba · gerila.info · glaslaktasa.com · haber.ba · impulsportal.net · jajce-online.com · mojdoboj.info · nedeljnik.rs · novi.ba · prijedor24.com · prijedor24h.net · prijedordanas.com · radiobrcko.ba · radiosarajevo.ba · rtv-kd.com · rtv7.ba · sarajevotimes.com · serbia-energy.eu · srpskainfo.com · times.si · vesti-online.com · vijesti.ba · zenicablog.com · zvornikdanas.com

This summary has been updated 5 times: see revision history