The Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant is the largest power
plant in the system of Holding Slovenske Elektrarne and in the Slovene
electricity system (EES) according to annual production of electricity and
installed power. The power plant produced over 3,700 GWh of energy annually in
the period from 2003 to 2010. It is an important energy pillar for the reliable
supply of electricity in Slovenia due to its average share of production of
electricity which amounts to nearly 35 percent. TEŠ also adjusts production of
electricity to current needs in Slovenia and ensures the quality of this energy
and the regulation of frequency and power. It also supplies several thousand residents of the Šaleška dolina Valley
with remote heating.
Information on production units in TEŠ and production
in TEŠ can be found in the charts below.
|
Unit
|
Planned year of shutdown
|
|
Block 1 (shut down)
|
30 MW
|
25 MW
|
1956
|
2010
|
|
Block 2(shut down)
|
30 MW
|
25 MW
|
1960
|
2008 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Block 3
|
75 MW
|
55 MW
|
1960
|
2015
|
|
Block 4
|
275 MW
|
248 MW
|
1972
|
2015
|
|
Block 5
|
345 MW
|
305 MW
|
1977
|
2027
|
|
PT 51
|
42 MW
|
41.9 MW
|
2008
|
2027
|
|
PT 52
|
42 MW
|
41.9 MW
|
2008
|
2027
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
|
TOTAL (excluding B1 and B2)
|
|
Production of electricity in TEŠ and share in production in Slovenia
|
Year
|
% TEŠ
|
|
On the generator |
At the threshold |
|
|
|
2003
|
3,962
|
3,464
|
10,637 (2)
|
32.6%
|
|
2004
|
4,044
|
3,550
|
10,787
|
32.9%
|
|
2005
|
4,139
|
3,641
|
10,483
|
34.7%
|
|
2006
|
4,269
|
3,749
|
10,536
|
35.6%
|
|
2007
|
4,268
|
3,756
|
10,422
|
36.0%
|
|
2008
|
4,359
|
3,850
|
11,330
|
34.0%
|
|
2009
|
4,244
|
3,753
|
11,703
|
32.1%
|
|
2010
|
4,460
|
3,946
|
11,728
|
33.6%
|
[1] The figures are based on half of the production of
the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK).
[2] The figures take into account the international contract signed in
2003 transferring half of the ownership and production to HEP which enters into
force in the middle of April 2003.
The thermal power plant depends on the use of lignite
in Velenje as the primary energy product for the production of electricity.
Average annual consumption of coal in the period 2003 to 2010 amounted to 4,100
thousand tonnes. The use of coal results
in atmospheric pollution with carbon dioxide emissions. Due to environmental
aspects and Slovenia’s commitment to the Kyoto protocol, great pressure has
arisen to reduce coal consumption in processes for obtaining final forms of
energy. Thus, on the one hand, we would like to ensure reliable national
production of electricity and on the other, are limited due to environmental
requirements.
The existing thermal energy blocks of TEŠ are very
decrepit, uneconomical and less environmentally friendly and will be unsuitable
after 2016. As TEŠ is strategically important due to reliable, safe and
competitive production of electricity with a domestic energy product, a
supplementary 600 MW block 6 is being built in TEŠ which will fully replace the
production and services in the existing coal mine units in TEŠ, thereby
reducing the consumption of coal by one third. Carbon dioxide emissions will be
decreased by 35% and all other environmental pollution will also be reduced. This
will reduce the price of electricity produced by TEŠ which will be generated in
an economical, environmentally friendly and technologically perfected way.
TEŠ (1-5) = TEŠ 6 – for
producing safe, reliable, competitive electricity and heat energy and ensuring the
energy independence of Slovenia.