For many years, Breza’s life in Bosnia has revolved around coal mines, but the global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy threatens this industry once communist Yugoslavia is proud of.
Armel Jekalovic and other miners were once hailed as local heroes who brought steady income to their hometowns, and now worry that they may be the last generation to earn a living from Bosnian coal fields.
“This situation surrounding the energy transition worries us,” said 36-year-old Jekalovic, who oversees the operation of the mine in northwest Sarajevo.
“Production is declining, and the number of employees is declining. People feel unsafe and are looking for alternatives.”
The recent COP26 agreement held in Glasgow witnessed the commitment of countries to “gradually reduce” the use of coal, which is one of the world’s major sources of pollution.
Experts predict that with the increase in ecological pressure, the remaining 11 coal mines in Bosnia will no longer continue to operate in the next few decades, and the country will seek to clean up while seeking EU membership.
According to Jekalovic, the Breza mine has 1,100 employees and supports more than 70% of the 14,000 residents living in this region of central Bosnia.
But the specter of green reform is not the only challenge facing the industry’s labor force.
Because employers have not paid their pensions for many years, it is often difficult for miners to continue working and retire.
The unpaid donations alone accounted for half of the industry’s 500 million euro debt, leading to protests that did nothing to improve the situation.
“This miner was once respected, he was an idol,” Yekalovich explained, his father and grandfather were both miners.
“Bigger Shovel”
In front of the Breza mine, a statue of working-class legend Alija Sirotanovic pays tribute to the portrait on Yugoslavian banknotes in the 1980s, when the mining industry helped shape the backbone of Yugoslavia’s economy.
It is said that Josip Broz Tito, the strongman of Yugoslavia, once asked him and his comrades what they needed-“a bigger shovel”, and he replied.
According to experts, an estimated 2.6 billion tons of mineable coal reserves can provide the poor Balkan country with more than a century of energy independence.
But Bosnia, which hopes to join the European Union one day, has pledged to transition to renewable energy by 2050.
Observers believe that improving its green qualifications is one of many measures the government needs to take to become a viable candidate for an EU member state.
Bosnia has made a number of commitments to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, including the adoption of the “Sofia Declaration”, which promises to strive to become a “climate-friendly society in line with the Paris Agreement.”
“The coal industry may become extinct in the next 10 to 20 years. This is the reality. Denis Zisko, an analyst at the Center for Ecology and Energy, told AFP that it does not depend on politics, but purely economic factor.
Like other green energy advocates, Zisko believes that market forces will lead to the demise of the coal industry, especially in Bosnia, which provides consumers with “unrealistically low” prices and receives substantial subsidies.
But Edin Delic, a professor at the Tuzla School of Mines and Geology, believes that the country is “hastily” committing to a transformation in accordance with an unsustainable timetable.
Compared with large countries, Bosnia’s carbon emissions are minimal. Its coal mines produce only 13 million tons of coal per year, while China’s 11 million tons per day.
This sector is also an important pillar of the economy, with more than 17,000 direct employees and many others in related industries.
“Bosnia is a small player on this stage, but it may suffer very serious economic consequences,” Delik said.
‘In the cold’
Reliance on coal may cause other problems for the Balkan countries.
Two-thirds of Bosnia’s electricity is generated by a handful of coal-fired power plants that are mostly aging from the communist era.
As the company reconsidered its investment in coal, after the exit of the US conglomerate General Electric, the plan to upgrade a power plant in northeastern Bosnia fell into suspicion.
For those who dedicate their lives to the mine, leaving this job is not easy.
Sinan Huskic, chairman of a major trade union in Bosnia, said that miners know that “decarbonization is a global choice”.
“We are ready to make a serious and organized response. We will not let ourselves be left out,” he added.
