Snow, ice cuts BiH's electricity

Many municipalities and villages have been without electricity for days, but authorities say they are doing everything they can.

By Drazen Remikovic for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo -- 11/02/12

Frozen lakes -- like Jablanicko Lake near Konjic -- are stymieing BiH's hydroelectric power plants. [Reuters]

The extreme winter weather that has blasted into the region in the past few weeks is now threatening to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) without power. Hydroelectric power plants have been slowed by almost empty lakes and ice, while the supply of coal for thermal power plants has also been compromised.

At the weekend, temperatures were expected to drop around -19 degrees Celcus, and more snow was expected.

Extremely low temperatures and snow have frozen coal mines in Breza, Kakanj and Zenica. Although Elektroprivreda BiH said the current coal reserves near 100,000 tonnes, supplying users is proving to be difficult.

"Railways are not working, and the roads to the thermal power plants in Tuzla and Kakanj are impassable," State electric company Elektroprivreda BiH General-Director Elvedin Grabovica said at a press conference on Tuesday.

BiH is the only exporter of electricity in the region, but authorities announced last week that they must stop selling until the weather situation improves.

"Because of domestic needs, we had to suspend exports. This situation happens once in 100 years, and I hope it will soon end," Federation of BiH (FBiH) Minister of Enegry, Mining and Industry Erdal Trhulj said on Wenesday (February 8th).

Stefan Pejovic, 29, a resident of Biograd village near Nevesinje in east Herzegovina, has been without electricity and water for a week.

"Luckily, we have the [forest] and we can keep warm. If it were not for wood, we would be dead by now. The whole of Nevesinje has no electricity. I don't know how people in buildings are heating their appartments. I hope that someone will take responsibility for this disaster," Pejovic told SETimes.

Grabovica said that FBiH could be left without electricity if the severity of the weather conditions continue.

"The entire energy network is being overburdened by the extreme weather conditions," Elektroprivreda BiH representative Midheta Kurspahic told SETimes.

FBiH Deputy Prime Minister Jerko Ivanković-Lijanovic said the situation is serious in all parts of the country, but the government is making every effort to resolve the problems -- primarly those dealing with electricity.

"According to information that I have, a major part of Mostar, and several other towns in Herzegovina are electrified, and again I call upon the citizens to save energy. The government has formed a crisis center, which is in constant session to resolve all problems that exists right now," Lijanovic told SETimes.

He added that the damages to the electrical networks across the country are great, but there are no estimates to how big the total loss will be.

In Republika Srpska, conditions are better, but electricity consumption has reached a record. Elektroprivreda RS authorities are urging the citizens to reduce consumption.

Opposition politicians are asking the entity government to subsuduse the power bills for the populations most vulnerable.

"If the government decides not to pay the bills to most vulnerable citizens, we will seek a parliamentary initiative to do it," Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) Vice-President Zoran Djeric told SETimes.

Government officials said the issue will be discussed at its next session on February 16th.

The RS government eliminated subsidies for electricity in this year's budget, while the FBiH goverment will subside 300,000 pensioners' bills.

Source: SETimes.com