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RB Kolubara (full legal name: ''Privredno društvo za proizvodnju, preradu i transport uglja Rudarski basen Kolubara
d.o.o. A private limited company is any type of business entity in "private" ownership used in many jurisdictions, in contrast to a publicly listed company, with some differences from country to country. Examples include: the ''LLC'' in the United St ...
Lazarevac'', "Company for the production, processing and transport of coal mine basin Kolubara Ltd. Lazarevac") is a Serbian
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
mining and
smelting Smelting is a process of applying heat and a chemical reducing agent to an ore to extract a desired base metal product. It is a form of extractive metallurgy that is used to obtain many metals such as iron-making, iron, copper extraction, copper ...
complex with headquarters in
Lazarevac Lazarevac ( sr-cyr, Лазаревац, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. , the town has a total population of 27,635 inhabitants, while the municipal area has a total of 55,146 inhabitants. Its name stems from the name of medieval Ser ...
,
Kolubara District The Kolubara District (, ) is one of administrative districts of Serbia. It occupies the central part of western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, it has a population of 154,497 inhabitants. The administrative center of the Kolubara Distric ...
. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 2.2 billion tonnes of
lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...
, one of the largest lignite reserves in
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and it produces 22.6 million tonnes of coal per year. Since Kolubara mining basin is the largest
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
supplier for
Elektroprivreda Srbije Elektroprivreda Srbije (abbr. EPS; full legal name: Javno preduzeće ''Elektroprivreda Srbije'' Beograd) is a joint-stock company, joint-stock electric utility power company fully owned by the Government of Serbia, with headquarters in Belgrade, ...
it plays a vital role in the country's energy independence. About 52% of the
electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
in
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
is produced based on the
lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...
from
Kolubara The Kolubara ( sr-cyr, Колубара, ) is a long river in western Serbia; it is an eastern, right tributary to the Sava river. Due to the many long tributaries creating a branchy system within the river's drainage basin, the short Kolubara ...
,Rudarski basen Kolubara. Proizvodnja. Retrieved 11. 6. 2014
/ref> that is about 20 billion kW hours of
electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
per year. Most of the
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
(about 90%) is used for
electricity production Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by M ...
in
TPP Nikola Tesla TPP Nikola Tesla, commonly known as TENT, is a power plant complex operated by Elektroprivreda Srbije, located on the right bank of the river Sava, approximately 40 km upstream from Downtown Belgrade, near the city municipality of Obren ...
in
Obrenovac Obrenovac ( sr-cyr, Обреновац, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. According to the 2022 census results, the municipality has a population of 68,882 inhabitants, while the urban area has 25,380 inhabitants. The old name for Obreno ...
, in
thermal power plant A thermal power station, also known as a thermal power plant, is a type of power station in which the heat energy generated from various fuel sources (e.g., coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, etc.) is converted to electrical energy. The heat ...
Kolubara in Veliki Crljeni and in
thermal power plant A thermal power station, also known as a thermal power plant, is a type of power station in which the heat energy generated from various fuel sources (e.g., coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, etc.) is converted to electrical energy. The heat ...
Morava in Svilajnac.Serbia Energy. Serbia mining:The importance of “Kolubara mine basin” in the Serbian energy system. Retrieved 11. 6. 2014
/ref>


History

The beginnings of
mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
in the region of
Kolubara The Kolubara ( sr-cyr, Колубара, ) is a long river in western Serbia; it is an eastern, right tributary to the Sava river. Due to the many long tributaries creating a branchy system within the river's drainage basin, the short Kolubara ...
basin are associated with the year 1896 when the first pit Zvizdar was opened. In the eastern and western part of the basin coal has been successively extracted from the 14 pits Zvizdar, Sokolovac, Skobalj, Radljevo, Prkosava, Veliki Crljeni, Kolubara 1, Veliki Crljeni - Kolubara 2, Kosmaj - Kolubara 3, Baroševac, Šopić, Junkovac and others. A turning point in coal production came in 1952 with the opening of the first open pit (Fields A) which started mass surface mining of
lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...
. Opening of new mines and processing facilities fallowed.Rudarski basen Kolubara. Rudarstvo staro 117 godina. Retrieved 9. 6. 2014
/ref> The mining projects' original intention was to secure a stable, constant supply of energy and electricity for the country, which is why the Serbian federal government considers these projects of national interest.


Environmental Improvement project

In 2011 Kolubara started the Environmental Improvement project in order to improve the mining conditions and effects on the environment as well as the local communities involved. The estimated cost of this project is approximately EUR 165.2; the initiative is financed by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development
EBRD The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, shortened to EBRD ( French: ''Banque européenne pour la reconstruction et le développement'' or ''BERD''), is an international financial institution founded in 1991 in Paris. As a multilat ...
(EUR 80 million ), the German state development bank KfW (EUR 75 million) and state electricity company
Elektroprivreda Srbije Elektroprivreda Srbije (abbr. EPS; full legal name: Javno preduzeće ''Elektroprivreda Srbije'' Beograd) is a joint-stock company, joint-stock electric utility power company fully owned by the Government of Serbia, with headquarters in Belgrade, ...
(EUR 80 million). According to information provided by
EBRD The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, shortened to EBRD ( French: ''Banque européenne pour la reconstruction et le développement'' or ''BERD''), is an international financial institution founded in 1991 in Paris. As a multilat ...
, the investment will generate benefits resulting in an environmental improvement of the Kolubara complex. The main benefits being more efficient and cleaner extraction of
natural resource Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...
s, supplying the existing
power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...
s with
lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...
of a uniform quality (that will lead to more stable and efficient operations and controlled uniform emissions which will result in lower levels of CO2 and other pollutants as well as reduced wear and tear and maintenance costs) and helping
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
to achieve emission limits set by the recently introduced EU Directive 2010/75 on Industrial Emissions.Information about the project on EBRD webpage.
The Environmental Improvement project's goal is to also introduce new equipment, strategies and techniques to the workers and planners of
Elektroprivreda Srbije Elektroprivreda Srbije (abbr. EPS; full legal name: Javno preduzeće ''Elektroprivreda Srbije'' Beograd) is a joint-stock company, joint-stock electric utility power company fully owned by the Government of Serbia, with headquarters in Belgrade, ...
(EPS). The purpose of introducing the new technologies and methods is to increase efficiency both economically speaking and environmentally speaking.


Controversial issues


Social impact

For the last 10 years the Kolubara mine basin has been expanding towards the settlements causing conflicts between inhabitants and mines. This problem affects around 6000 families. During the last decade,
Elektroprivreda Srbije Elektroprivreda Srbije (abbr. EPS; full legal name: Javno preduzeće ''Elektroprivreda Srbije'' Beograd) is a joint-stock company, joint-stock electric utility power company fully owned by the Government of Serbia, with headquarters in Belgrade, ...
has moved hundreds of
household A household consists of one or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...
s, two complete
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
s and partially 10 villages. One of the main villages impacted was Vreoci, which resides in central Serbia. The project required a new mine pit on the location of the Vreoci graveyard as well as the relocation of more than 1,000 households. Underneath the graveyard lies approximately 50 million tons of coal, a requirement to get to the 600 million tons of lignite which would help the project but damage the local community's burial grounds and cultural landmark. Despite the heavy protests from the villagers, the EBRD loan was approved and the excavation of the graves continued. These protests have been met with police intervention and a series of blockades preventing the villages into the graveyard. The villagers asked for their houses to be relocated first so that shelter was secured, yet that process has not been as successful as promised. The lack of progress in the resettlement phase of the project has caused villagers to live in sub-par conditions and in locations with high air and ground pollution. Further protests ensued, such as street protests and hunger strikes. Resettlement caused by the Tamnava West expansion in 2003 was not done according to good standards either, the main reason being shortage of funds which led to slowing down of the land acquisition and development of the proposed
infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and pri ...
. In the end, they were never conducted, which diminished credibility of
Elektroprivreda Srbije Elektroprivreda Srbije (abbr. EPS; full legal name: Javno preduzeće ''Elektroprivreda Srbije'' Beograd) is a joint-stock company, joint-stock electric utility power company fully owned by the Government of Serbia, with headquarters in Belgrade, ...
in the eyes of inhabitants. With continued expansion of the mine, the relocation of households became urgent and residents were under enormous pressure to accept
financial compensation Financial compensation refers to the act of providing a person with money or other things of economic value in exchange for their goods, labor, or to provide for the costs of injuries that they have incurred. The aim of financial compensation ...
and leave the territory designated for
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
excavation. The value of their property was often underestimated.CEKOR Complaint to the EBRD Project Complaint Mechanism submitted on 1. 10. 2013.
/ref>


Environmental Impact

In spite of the Environmental improvement project carried out in 2011, there are still various environmental consequences of the mining work in Kolubara complex such as gas releases (
carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...
, sulfur dioxide,
ozone Ozone () (or trioxygen) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , break ...
etc.), pollution of
water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...
and deterioration of the ground.


2013 Landslide

In May 2013 the overburden of field B of the Kolubara
lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...
mine collapsed and caused a
landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...
that destroyed seven houses and one road in the town of Junkovac. On 28 March 2014 Serbian nongovernmental organization CEKOR (Centre for Ecology and Sustainable Development) pressed charges against Kolubara company for endangering
public safety Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensu ...
in Junkovac. The case was made after the statement by the Department for Mining Inspection in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial planning that confirmed the Kolubara company has overloaded the dump field that caused the
landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...
.Bankwatch. Serbian NGO presses criminal charges against Kolubara mining company over landslide. Retrieved 6. 6. 2014
/ref>


Corruption

In October 2011 authorities arrested 17 people, including two former directors of the Kolubara mine Dragan Tomic and Vladan Jovicic, eight executive managers and seven owners of
private firm The private sector is the part of the economy which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The private sector employs most of the workforce ...
s with which Kolubara conducted
business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...
. The executive managers are suspected of abusing their positions to illegally appropriate up to 2.9 million Euros, while enabling
private companies A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in their respective listed markets. Instead, the company's stock is ...
to illegally
profit Profit may refer to: Business and law * Profit (accounting), the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market * Profit (economics), normal profit and economic profit * Profit (real property), a nonpossessory inter ...
9.2 million Euros. Pre-trial proceedings were initiated because of suspicion that Kolubara's
asset In financial accounting, an asset is any resource owned or controlled by a business or an economic entity. It is anything (tangible or intangible) that can be used to produce positive economic value. Assets represent value of ownership that can b ...
s were used illegally through the leasing of construction
machinery A machine is a physical system that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolec ...
from privately owned companies, and by enabling other
corporations A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...
and persons material gain.Regional anti-corruption initiative. INVESTIGATING SERBIA'S FRAUD OF THE CENTURY. Retrieved 9. 6. 2014
/ref> The first of two
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...
s against Dragan Tomic started on 25 May 2012. Tomic and four others were
indicted An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offense is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use that concept often use that of an indi ...
in January on charges of
abuse of power Abuse of power or abuse of authority, in the form of "malfeasance in office" or "official abuse of power", is the commission of an Crime, unlawful act, done in an official capacity, which affects the performance of official duties. Malfeasan ...
and of damaging the Kolubara
budget A budget is a calculation plan, usually but not always financial plan, financial, for a defined accounting period, period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including tim ...
for US$650,000 between 2004 and 2008. They face up to 12 years in
prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
. In January 2013
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
's Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlović in her address, announced that Kolubara's business dealings are now a subject of an investigation, on suspicion of financial abuses.
Allegation In law, an allegation is a claim of an unproven fact by a party in a pleading, charge, or defense. Until they can be proved, allegations remain merely assertions. Types of allegations Marital allegations There are also marital allegations: m ...
s include paying high
salaries A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis. Sa ...
to non-existent
employee Employment is a relationship between two party (law), parties Regulation, regulating the provision of paid Labour (human activity), labour services. Usually based on a employment contract, contract, one party, the employer, which might be a cor ...
s, buying over-priced equipment, and using resettlement compensation to pass bloated amounts of money to people close to the management."Millions" syphoned off from coal mine, minister charges. Retrieved 9. 6. 2014
/ref> There have also been allegations of corruption within the EPS board members. Radoslav Savatijević, member of the Managing Board of EPS was given a huge compensation of EUR 1.2 million for his house in Vreoci; however, his house was not near the location of the mining and may not even have been eligible for expropriation compensation as the house was not registered as his residence address. Similar cases have risen throughout this project, causing anger and distrust amongst the locals of affected villages.


Events


2014 Floods

Due to heavy
floods A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
which devastated the area in May 2014, there has been a week-long interruption in
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
transport from Kolubara. Water two meters high covered all the machines and the railway on which the
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
is being transported.B92. Coal transport from Kolubara to Nikola Tesla power plant resumes. Retrieved 6. 6. 2014
/ref> The
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is inter ...
have written about the damage and repayment of it since the machinery and equipment were not ensured against flooding.B92. RB Kolubara: Netačne izjave iz EPS. Retrieved 6. 6. 2014
/ref> Damage is estimated to be at least 100 million Euros.
/ref> The flood’s impacts were much worse for those living near the mine, especially where the waters and mud mixed with pollution from the mine.Bankwatch. When water mixes with coal - The impacts of the floods in Serbia on people living next to lignite mines. Retrieved 6. 6. 2014
/ref>


See also

*
Elektroprivreda Srbije Elektroprivreda Srbije (abbr. EPS; full legal name: Javno preduzeće ''Elektroprivreda Srbije'' Beograd) is a joint-stock company, joint-stock electric utility power company fully owned by the Government of Serbia, with headquarters in Belgrade, ...


References


External links


Serbia Mining Energy News
{{DEFAULTSORT:RB Kolubara Companies based in Lazarevac Non-renewable resource companies established in 1992 Coal mines in Serbia Electric power companies of Serbia Elektroprivreda Srbije Government-owned companies of Serbia Open-pit mines Energy companies established in 1992 Serbian companies established in 1992