DEKARBONIZACIJA ELEKTROENERGETSKOG SEKTORA U BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI I REGIONU – MOGUĆNOSTI I PERSPEKTIVE

Abstract

Coal-fired power plants in the Western Balkans region remain the dominant source of electricity generation, but at the same time one of the largest sources of air pollution. According to reports by international health organizations, emissions from these facilities, in just one observed two-year period, led to several thousand estimated premature deaths and significant
 economic losses amounting to billions of euros. Such negative effects have not gone unnoticed by the international community, and the introduction of mechanisms such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and inclusion in the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS) will further intensify financial and regulatory pressures on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s power sector. Analysis of existing plans and trends indicates that a rapid and large-scale replacement of thermal generation capacities with renewable sources is not technically feasible without prior investments in flexibility, balancing reserves, and system stability. The paper provides a critical review of current plans and offers arguments for a realistic and sustainable model of power sector decarbonization in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.