Natural lignite resources in Kosovo and Metohija and their influence on the environment

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to point out the significance of the natural lignite resources in the region of Kosovo and Metohija and to consider their influence on the environment of the said part of the territory of the Republic of Serbia. The region of Kosovo and Metohija is extremely rich in lignite. It makes up 76% of the total coal reserves in Serbia and it is the third biggest region in Europe regarding the coal reserves. Lignite is burned in the existing thermal power plants in Kosovo and Metohija, and the construction of the additional blocks is being planned at the moment. Lignite reserves are so immense that on one hand they enable the energy independence, but on the other hand the overall negative impact of reliance on lignite must be taken into account, especially since the existing thermal power plants operate according to the outdated environmental standards, producing large emissions of air pollutants (harmful gases resulting from lignite combustion in thermal power plants) that have negative impact on health. In order to reduce the environmental pollution that such thermal power plants create, operating of the said power plants needs to be adjusted to the stricter standards in compliance with the legal requirements and the Industrial Emissions Directive of the European Union.

Keywords

• lignite
• natural resources
• energy independence
• environment
• environmental standards