The solar district heating in Pancevo was initially built in 2017 with 360 solar thermal collectors, boasting a total installed capacity of 700 kWth and an annual production of 600 MWh. The money came from the EU’s IPA funds as part of cross-border cooperation between Serbia and Romania. The thermal collectors were placed over 906 square meters of land.
The system was expanded in March 2020, in cooperation with USAID, when a further 198 thermal collectors were added, boosting the total capacity to slightly over 1 MWth and the projected annual output to 900 MWh. It is now the largest solar thermal system in the Balkans. The total investment is estimated at EUR 600,000. With an operational lifespan of 25-30 years and minimal operating costs, the cost of hot water is now lower than that of natural gas, the company’s primary fuel.
The solar thermal plant currently fulfills 15% of the total demand for hot sanitary water in Pancevo. With support from EBRD and SOLID, the local utility plans to further expand the solar field to encompass 35,000 m² of collector area and include a thermal storage unit of 150,000 m³. The BigSolar Pancevo project has the potential to be a flagship initiative in Western Balkan countries, contributing significantly to CO2 reduction in district heating.
