NIS participated in the panel discussion “Green Energy – for a More Sustainable Future”, organized by the company Novosti, in order to raise public awareness of the importance of sustainable development, responsible attitude towards natural resources, and rationalization of energy consumption. The representative of NIS at the panel was Mr Ivan Dmitriev, Director of the HSE Function.
In addition to the representatives of NIS, the panel held at the Botanical Garden in Belgrade also included Ms Sara Pavkov, State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and Mr Milan Macura, Acting Director of the Directorate for Financing and Promoting Energy Efficiency of the Ministry of Mining and Energy. In the introductory part of the panel, Prof. Miloš Banjac, PhD from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Belgrade addressed the attendees.
The conference discussed the possibilities of increasing the share of electricity production from renewable energy sources (RES) and the importance of the implementation of RES projects in order to achieve carbon neutrality and improve environmental protection. The panellists talked about how companies can contribute to finding the best solutions in the process of implementing the energy transition, and in addition to examples of good practice, they also talked about the improvement of legislation, the strategy and plans of the state in this area, as well as the need to educate new staff who will contribute to the improvement of the renewable energy sector with their knowledge and new skills.
In the introductory part of the panel, Prof. Miloš Banjac, PhD pointed out the need to be as involved as possible in the global trend of using new energy sources, not only from the aspect of environmental protection, but also from the aspect of the energy sector:
“The current trends are such that both production and consumption are on the rise, while renewable energy sources participate in the overall increase with only six percent. What is good is that wind and solar energy increased last year to more than two percent in just one year,” Mr Banjac said, pointing out that solar energy is more affordable, more efficient today, but that it will also be an integral part of our lives in the future.
To the statement that the plan is to produce 45 percent of energy in Serbia from renewable energy sources by 2030, Ms Sara Pavkov, State Secretary at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, reminded the attendees that the Law on Climate Changes in Serbia was adopted in 2021, and that specific measures were defined that would lead to a reduction in emissions of pollutants, as well as the greenhouse effect.
“This is a process that will lead to the greatest possible use but also to the diversification of energy products through the application of renewable energy sources, with the need to protect the environment in all legal frameworks through points defined by the existing regulations,” Ms Pavkov said.
Mr Milan Macura, Acting Director of the Directorate for Financing and Promoting Energy Efficiency of the Ministry of Mining and Energy, informed the attendees about the steps taken by the Government of Serbia and the relevant Ministry to improve energy efficiency and introduce as many renewable energy sources as possible:
“Today, at the session of the Government of Serbia, the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan was adopted, the goal of which is to improve and increase renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. In order to have sustainable energy, we also need to pay attention to how we produce thermal energy. In previous years, the Ministry launched a project for the introduction of biomass in thermal systems and remote heating systems. In February, we commissioned a heating plant in Majdanpek, as well as three new heating plants in Novi Pazar, Mali Zvornik, and Priboj. We continue the second phase of biomass where we expect the new six heating plants to receive a completely clean energy source,” Mr Macura said.
Mr Ivan Dmitriev from the HSE Function of NIS pointed out that NIS makes great investments in solar panels, in terms of its time, funds, and resources:
“Since 2022, we have been implementing the project of installing solar panels at our retail facilities, and as of the end of 2023, we have installed panels at 45 of our petrol stations. As a result, we have not only savings, but also an increase in all environmental indicators and a decrease in negative emissions. We have recently implemented the project of installing solar panels at the Jazak Drinking Water Factory, and our strategic goal is to build up to 40 megawatts of solar power plants by 2030,” Mr Dmitriev said.
Ms Sara Pavkov pointed out that the Ministry of Environmental Protection encourages the private sector to use renewable energy sources through several segments, and that it is necessary to find a compromise between environmental protection and development:
“We have set a goal, through our Nationally Determined Emission Reduction Plan – to reduce emissions of pollutants by 33.3 percent by 2030, which is three times more ambitious than in our previous reporting under this Convention. I think that on this path we need to have an alliance of all other stakeholders, the wider academic community, and the professional public,” Ms Sara Pavkov said.
Mr Milan Macura from the Ministry of Mining and Energy stated that in the last two years, the legislation has been much improved, which will continue to change, and that the idea is that by 2030, almost every second megawatt hour of electricity will be produced from renewable energy sources:
“We are currently in the process of amending the energy law and introducing the ‘active buyer’ category, which will encourage us to invest even more in renewable energy sources. The Ministry of Mining and Energy is trying to further encourage households to develop renewable energy sources through subsidies. Currently, more than 30,000 households have received different types of subsidies, and I believe that we have made a big step forward in terms of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in the previous years,” Mr Macura pointed out.
Mr Macura stated that the Ministry of Mining and Energy and the Directorate for Energy Efficiency had been trying to rehabilitate public facilities through various funds for 14 years, and the amount of RSD 800 million was allocated for this purpose this year.
Mr Ivan Dmitriev from NIS informed the attendees about the NIS strategy when it comes to renewable energy sources, but also environmental protection and sustainable development:
“NIS is not only an oil company, but also an energy company, and we have significantly strengthened our energy segment. We will continue to invest in this segment of the business. The goal is for more than 50 percent of NIS consumption to be from renewable energy sources by 2030. At the same time, we are thinking about how to improve the protection of the environment and the surroundings in which NIS develops its business, and this year, as part of our “Common Cause Community” program, we allocated RSD 144.5 million to projects that will enable the installation of solar panels on public facilities in local communities,” Mr Dmitriev said.
Mr Dmitriev said that environment protection was an integral part of the NIS strategy, and it was also part of the Report on Sustainable Development of the company. He pointed out that this year NIS had also drafted the Environmental Strategy, which prescribes specific steps for the implementation of a particular project in order to help achieve the goals, and specifically reduce the company’s carbon intensity by 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2018.
Since 2009, NIS has invested more than EUR 900 million in the environmental projects and business initiatives that have had significant effects on the improvement of the environmental image in Serbia. The sum of more than EUR 130 million of that amount has been invested in exclusively “environmental” initiatives. As part of the process of business diversification, NIS has so far invested significant funds in the production of electricity from renewable energy sources, which strengthens energy efficiency and makes significant steps in the process of energy transition and reduction of its carbon footprint.
NIS remains consistent with the “green” direction in business, and this approach implies greater investments in the production of electricity from natural resources, both within the company and in partner cities and municipalities. To this end, within the “Common Cause Community” social responsibility program, NIS recently announced a competition worth RSD 144.5 million, intended for financing projects for the installation of solar panels for the production of electricity, in which institutions of public importance in 13 local governments can participate until 13 September. The terms and conditions of the competition were published on the website of NIS, on the link https://www.nis.rs/zajednici-zajedno/.
