By: Nova24tv.si
Is a new disaster looming? Due to the losses incurred by the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant (TEŠ), more than 35,000 people in the Savinja-Šalek region could soon find themselves without electricity, and hundreds of employees could lose their jobs. The costs of the company’s bankruptcy and its debt, approximately 286 million euros, would fall on the state.
There are no ideal scenarios where “the wolf is full, and the goat is whole”. Minister Bojan Kumer claims it is “crucial” that the costs are not passed onto the people or taxpayers. However, based on the government’s track record, it seems likely that this is exactly what will happen.
According to Finance, the thermal division of HSE (comprising TEŠ and Premogovnik Velenje) is expected to generate a loss of 150 to 200 million euros next year. The division will already be insolvent this year. The size of the financial shortfall also depends on the price of emission allowances – a product of the “green transition”, which grants the “right” to emit carbon dioxide. The gap will also be influenced by electricity and heat prices, according to the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning (MOPE).
What happens next?
Finance reports that MOPE is preparing an emergency law to adjust the operation of TEŠ and Premogovnik Velenje, with the new regime set to take effect from 2025. Both companies will be separated from HSE (Holding Slovenske Elektrarne) and transferred to state ownership.
They will then be managed by the Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SDH). According to the ministry, the emergency law will have limited scope and will primarily serve to “buy time”. The law is expected to be drafted in two to three weeks and passed by November at the latest.
More details are expected to be revealed to the public in the next two or three weeks. One confirmed aspect is that TEŠ will be required to provide district heating as a public utility service. Based on the existing strategy, TEŠ is slated to be shut down by 2033 at the latest. Additionally, there are ongoing efforts to draft laws for the restructuring of Premogovnik Velenje and the SAŠA region.
