Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević and Head of the EU Delegation Emanuele Giaufret attended the presentation today on the completion of the project and commissioning of a 50-kilowatt solar power plant on the roof of the City Administration building in Vranje.
It is expected that the installation of solar panels will contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by about 31.8 tons annually.
The project was realised thanks to the initiative of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, which is implemented in the Western Balkans by the German agency GIZ.
The project’s value is EUR 9.33 million, of which EUR 8 million are EU donations, while the remainder is donated by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.
Vranje Mayor Slobodan Milenković stated that the plant would be officially commissioned on that day and that citizens would be able to observe the production of electricity from solar energy on a display.
Citizens will be able to see the extent of savings in terms of both money and energy. The investment value in Vranje is EUR 53,000, of which more than EUR 40,000 is EU support, Milenković noted.
Tanja Miščević stated that the solar power plant project was the culmination of how EU assistance was used for the benefit of all.
“As part of Europe, even though we are not a member, we share the same obligations regarding the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, and this type of cooperation is welcome and mutually beneficial,” Tanja Miščević said.
According to her, energy transition is part of the reform agenda Serbia is preparing within the Growth Plan, and Vranje is an example of how public buildings can be empowered through energy production and saving.
Giaufret stated that the solar power plant would achieve significant electricity savings, equivalent to the production of 20 households, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
“Vranje has been part of the Covenant of Mayors initiative since 2011, and since then, a series of actions have been undertaken, showing commitment to combating climate change,” Giaufret said.
He noted that Europe aimed to be the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050 and, therefore, supports EU candidate countries, such as Serbia, in achieving that goal.
During the past ten years, the EU has allocated EUR 600 million to the energy sector, and now, through the Growth Plan, EUR 1.5 billion will be provided for Serbia. “These funds must be accompanied by a series of reforms, primarily in the energy sector,” Giaufret said.
Tanja Miščević stated that there was no pause in the European integration process. At the same time, Head of the EU Delegation Emanuele Giaufret noted that the new momentum in the EU should be utilised.
Tanja Miščević said that work was underway to open Cluster 3, noting that the European Commission had given the green light for that.
“The whole day we spent in Vranje shows that we are working on programmes and projects that bring us closer to the EU,” Miščević stated.
Giaufret announced that a new composition of the European Commission would soon be presented, adding that it would include a commissioner fully dedicated to EU enlargement.
“Therefore, it is important for candidate countries, especially Serbia, to intensify reform processes,” Giaufret assessed.
Source: FoNet
