Serbia’s Ministry of Mining & Energy has awarded a contract for a preliminary technical study of the potential use of civil nuclear power in Serbia to Electricite de France (EDF) and French engineering consultancy Egis Industries. EDF and Egis offered to conduct the study for €120,000 ($133,343), excluding value-added tax, the Ministry said.
The Ministry had issued the public procurement order in June for the study. It delayed the deadline by two weeks and opened the bids in early August, the document shows. EDF and Egis won the most points. Their bid almost matched the government’s estimate. Eight other companies and groups of bidders participated in the tender. These included:
- China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas;
- Jooho Whang – Powertos (the bid was declared invalid);
- Nikola Tesla Institute of Electrical Engineering – Enconet Consulting;
- Environ – GO2Power;
- Sargent and Lundy;
- Tenet Advisors – JSC KEPT;
- NAC International – MRC Arge Enerji Mühendisliği, Kontrol ve Test Hizmetleri;
- SC Romcapital Invest – UJV REŽ – EKS.
EDF and Egis need to list options and recommend solutions. The preliminary technical study is expected to present available technologies and to recommend the solutions. The analysis needs to cover conventional, generation 3+ NPPs, as well as more advanced technologies such as small modular reactors but should not include Generation 4 reactors.
In August the Ministry and EDF signed a letter of intent on assessing the potential for the development of nuclear energy in Serbia. Earlier in August, the Energy Ministry said it plans to draft a programme for the peacetime use of nuclear energy, which envisages the construction of NPP.
A law prohibiting the construction of NPPs, which was adopted in 1989 in former Yugoslavia, is still technically in force in Serbia. However, the government in Belgrade adopted changes to the Law on Energy in August, aiming to abolish the moratorium on NPP construction. The proposed changes are undergoing public consultation.
Under one of the scenarios of a recently adopted Integrated National Energy & Climate Plan, Serbia is considering the introduction of nuclear power plants with a capacity totalling 1,000 MW after 2040.
Researched and written by Judith Perera
