RAFAKO SA has signed a contract with VIA OCEL, under which it will develop documentation and supply pressure components for the boiler of the modernized Tent B2 unit at the Nikola Tesla Power Plant in Obrenovac, Serbia. The contract will be executed by May 23, 2025, and is valued at over €6.5 million. This will enable the Nikola Tesla Power Plant, one of the key installations in the Serbian energy system, to achieve greater efficiency and implement low-emission technology. The current management of RAFAKO is determined not only to restore the company’s financial health but also to significantly increase its sales in Poland and abroad.
The Nikola Tesla Power Plant in Obrenovac meets about one-fifth of Serbia’s energy needs. It is one of the key coal-based installations in the Serbian energy system. The modernization of the BB-1880 boiler at the power plant aims, among other things, to increase its steam output from the current 1880 t/h to 2000 t/h, thereby increasing the unit’s power from 620 MW to 665 MW. The modernization of the steam boiler by applying RAFAKO-produced pressure components will allow the power plant to achieve greater efficiency and implement low-emission technology. This action will be beneficial not only from a financial perspective (reducing maintenance costs) and operational perspective (minimizing potential production downtime) but also crucial for the sustainable development and environmental responsibility of the enterprise. The modernization of the pressure part may also contribute to extending the boiler’s lifespan, securing energy supply safety for consumers.
“The concluded contract fits into RAFAKO’s efforts to introduce solutions to the market that increase the efficiency of coal-fired units. We observe enormous interest in our new products both in Poland and abroad. Proof of this is the contract with the Serbian company VIA OCEL, which demonstrates RAFAKO’s unique references and ‘know-how’ not only in the Polish market but also in foreign markets. It is also evidence that a Polish company can effectively compete in such a competitive sector with foreign competitors. Today’s signed agreement is one of the most significant contracts concluded by RAFAKO in recent months. We are currently working intensively not only to restore the company but also to increase sales in the Polish and international markets. It is worth emphasizing that we also see opportunities for the company to soon become a subcontractor in planned nuclear power plant projects in various parts of Europe,” commented Robert Kuraszkiewicz, CEO of RAFAKO.
RAFAKO has been present in the Serbian (formerly Yugoslavian) market since the 1970s. Between 1966 and 1983, RAFAKO supplied boilers for the Nikola Tesla “A” and “B” power plants and the Morava power plant. Subsequent projects in the Serbian market included the modernization of the Morava power plant boiler (2016-2017), modernization of boilers in TENT B (boiler of unit B1 – stage I in 2012, stage II in 2020-2024, boiler of unit B2 – stage I in 2016-2017).