EPS begins trial run of major flue gas desulfurization unit at Nikola Tesla B to cut SO2 and meet EU rules

Serbian state-owned power utility EPS has begun trial operation of a new flue gas desulfurization system at the Nikola Tesla B (TENT B) thermal power plant in Obrenovac, a key move in the environmental modernization of the country’s largest coal-fired generation facility. The project is positioned as one of the biggest environmental investments in the regional electricity sector, with EPS and government officials saying it will materially reduce emissions from a major source of power production.

Trial phase aims to bring TENT B into European compliance

Officials said completion of the system is expected to bring Serbia’s largest thermal capacities into compliance not only with national regulations but also with European environmental standards. Serbian Mining and Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović stated that sulfur dioxide emissions from the plant are expected to decrease by up to 30 times once the desulfurization system reaches full operational status. She added that particulate emissions are already being kept below required limits.

Đedović also said that more than €420 million has been invested in desulfurization systems across TENT A and TENT B combined, with environmental gains expected to extend beyond Obrenovac to Belgrade and surrounding areas.

Scale of investment and technology details

EPS Director Dušan Živković said the TENT B desulfurization facility required an investment of around €250 million on its own. The project was carried out with Japanese and domestic partners, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which conducted the works.

The system relies on wet limestone flue gas cleaning technology designed to remove sulfur compounds from exhaust gases. EPS reports that gypsum produced as a by-product already meets European quality standards, with annual output expected to reach around 200,000 tons—an outcome EPS frames as supportive of circular economy practices by reducing industrial waste.

Operational reliability alongside emissions cuts

Beyond emissions reductions, EPS emphasized that the investment is intended to strengthen long-term operational reliability for one of Serbia’s core elements of electricity supply. The company said this should improve efficiency and contribute to extending the expected lifespan of the plant.