Serbia’s Zaječar municipality completes implementation of Petrol’s largest public lighting renovation project
Despite uncertain times, Petrol and its partners have successfully completed the replacement of almost 10,000 energy-inefficient lighting fixtures in Zaječar. Thanks to the successful public–private partnership, the municipality’s costs will be reduced by more than €1 million over 15 years and the renovation of the public lighting will save more than 3,400 tonnes of CO2 per year in Zaječar. Petrol is extremely proud of the partnership, as it represents the largest project of its kind in the Petrol Group’s portfolio to date and another step towards a low-carbon future.
Energy efficiency is one of the key trends of our time, and it also extends to public lighting renovation. The Municipality of Zaječar has entered into a public–private partnership with Petrol and partners Smart Energy Investment and Maxwell Group for the renovation of public lighting in early 2021. The renovation project was successfully implemented and the reconstruction and replacement of energy-wasting luminaires was completed ahead of the contractual deadline, something that Petrol is extremely proud of in today’s unpredictable times.
Public lighting can be a major energy consumer in cities, but it also causes light pollution. In Zaječar, the renovation addressed both challenges. “The City of Zaječar approached the energy renovation of its public lighting system through a public–private partnership, mainly due to the obsolescence and cost inefficiency of the existing lighting. The energy renovation of the public lighting system brings many benefits to the city, both in terms of positive impact on the city budget and the environment, as well as in terms of improving general and traffic safety”, said Mayor of Zaječar Boško Ničić on the occasion of the renovation. The implementation of the project will bring a number of savings to the municipality. For example, the costs in Zaječar will be reduced by more than one million euros over 15 years, without the municipality having to invest its own funds or incur debt, as all costs will be borne by the private partner, and the annual electricity savings amount to more than 4,700 MWh, with the project generating more than 70 GWh of electricity savings over 15 years.
Energy savings are not the only achievement of the project. The integrated approach has improved the quality of maintenance, overall and traffic safety and the lifetime of the public lighting system. A concrete result is the reduction of emissions by more than 3,400 tonnes of CO2 per year. Protecting the environment thus remains a priority for Petrol, even in challenging times. They are proud that the partnership in Serbia represents the largest project of its kind in the Petrol portfolio to date, replacing almost 10,000 energy-inefficient luminaires with new Schreder and Philips LED luminaires, which have a significantly longer lifetime. At the same time, they and their partners helped the Serbian municipality of Zaječar to achieve more than 75% savings in electricity consumption. With electricity prices expected to rise in the coming period, the overall savings on this project are likely to be even higher. The municipality will thus be able to use its own funds for other sustainable projects.
Petrol is pleased to be able to support the transition to a low-carbon future through public lighting renovation projects, which are an excellent example of working together towards common environmental goals, while at the same time providing light comfort for users of public spaces and improving traffic and overall safety.
