Serbia to open refinery to other firms to secure fuel supplies

Serbia's Energy Minister has announced plans to make part of its NIS oil refinery available to other domestic oil firms to secure supplies in August due to high demand and low Danube water levels.

Serbia will ​make part of ​its sole NIS oil ‌refinery ​available to other domestic oil firms to secure supplies in ‌August because of high demand and record-low water levels in the Danube river, Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic ‌said on Wednesday. Serbia's fuel imports fell to ‌25% of their monthly target in July as low Danube water levels in Hungary, Serbia and Romania forced barges ⁠and ​tankers to ⁠operate at 30% to 40% of their cargo capacity.

"Together with ⁠representatives of NIS and the Association of Oil Companies ​of Serbia, we have analysed all measures to respond ⁠to the increased demand in August," Handanovic said, adding ⁠that ​state oil reserves will be preserved for extreme emergency. The low levels of the Danube ⁠have affected other Serbian energy facilities such as the coal-fired ⁠Kostolac ⁠power plants, where a lack of water disrupted cooling systems, leading to lower output.