First Flue Gas Desulfurization System in the West Balkans

The Ugljevik lignite power plant located in the Republic of Srpska – one of the two constituent entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina – has an installed capacity of 300 MW and has been in service since 1985. Under the policy of moving closer to the emission directives of the European Union, energy suppler ERS decided to have the power plant retrofitted with a flue gas desulfurization system. The MHPS, MHPSE and RUDIS consortium won the tender against stiff international competition.

The Ugljevik project marks the first retrofit of a coal power plant with a flue gas desulfurization system in the West Balkans. Installation of the FGD plant will enable reductions of 99 percent of sulfur dioxide and achieve a sulfur dioxide level lower than 200 mg/Nm3, thus meeting the European "Industrial Emission Directive" (IED).

"The order is an important commercial reference for the entire Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Group", stresses Rainer Kiechl, CEO of the MHPSE Board of Directors. He said that the coal power plants operating in the Balkans (particularly lignite) were aging and – particularly as regards environmental protection – would have to be modernized in the not-too-distant future so as to adhere to the emission standards in force. Rainer Kiechl: "This opens up considerable opportunities for our company as a technological market leader in the construction of thermal power plants and flue gas cleaning systems."

In the Ugljevik project MHPS and MHPSE are responsible for the engineering and delivery of various main components (including gypsum silo, fans and air compressors). RUDIS, an engineering company in Slovenia, is responsible for civil construction works and installation works, delivery of some balance-of-plant equipment (e.g. auxiliary tanks), electrical equipment, pipelines and construction management. The plant is scheduled to start commercial operations in July 2019.