In recent years JP EPBiH achieved significant results in improving energy efficiency and energy savings in the company.
In production, appropriate measures of shutting down obsolete inefficient thermal power units (4x32 MW TPP “Kakanj” 2x32 MW TPP “Tuzla”) in 2000, and the reconstruction/modernization of the remaining units (Units 5, 6 and 7 in the TPP “Kakanj”, units 4, 5 and 6 in TPP “Tuzla”, and units in HPP on Neretva) which were made in the last ten years 2002-2012, improved the energy efficiency by about 30% compared to situation before the war, with significant effects on the reduction of CO2, NOx, SO2 and particulate matter. For example, the CO2 emissions for the same production facilities and approximately the same level of production, reduced from around 9.5 million t/y in 1991 to around 6.5 million t/y today.
Energy efficiency in JP EPBiH is largely influenced by the share of renewable energy in the production portfolio of the company. Currently the Renewable index (index of the share of energy from renewable energy sources), which is ratio of production from renewable energy sources in the total production, is 30% on average, with a variation during the year due to different inflow into reservoirs by months.
The index is significantly influenced by the amount of the specific CO2 emissions observing the complete product portfolio of the company. Thus, the current emission coefficient of JP EPBiH Network (coefficient of CO2 of JP EPBiH) is at 860 kg/MWh and it is approximate to the level of the coefficient of BiH Network.
Network emission coefficient (the net rate of CO2) JP EPBiH (data from 2010)
Specific heat consumption for existing units of TPP “Tuzla” and TPP “Kakanj” is approximately at the level of unit consumption for similar production units of the older generation from the 70-ies of the last century worldwide, with average specific heat consumption from 11.500 to 12.000 kJ/kWh, and i.e. efficiency of 30 to 31.5%. This level of energy efficiency of existing thermal units, along with the measures of planned maintenance and investments, will remain until their decommissioning, with proportionate increase in energy efficiency with the planned entry of new more efficient thermal power units in the company's production portfolio.