KV SBiH Sarajevo: Use of solid fuels in the Sarajevo Canton increased by 90 percent, while Government measures are getting worse

(Patria) - At the 27th working session of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly held on 16.12.2025, items 19 and 20
included the consideration of the "Energy Needs Balance of the Sarajevo Canton for 2024 and 2025.
year".

"Since the material was not discussed, it is realistic to expect it to be discussed in 2026, and that for the energy
needs of the Sarajevo Canton for 2024 and 2025.

How absurd this is is also evidenced by the fact that the Assembly leadership considers this material unnecessary and meaningless, because it is proposed after the end of both 2024 and 2025. Do these documents really have practical value? For the data we will present below, materials on the energy needs of the Sarajevo Canton over the years were used, as well as the Business Reports of Sarajevogas", state KV SBiH in a press release.

1. Consumption of solid fuels in the Sarajevo Canton:
2010 - 91,191 t
2011 - 95,329 t
2023 - 176,910 t
2024 - 169,251 t
2. Consumption of natural gas in the Sarajevo Canton:
2010 - 147,900,000 Sm3
2011 - 151,906,000 Sm3
2023 - 129,196,000 Sm3
2024 - 132,626,000 Sm3
3. Consumption of electricity in the Sarajevo Canton:
2010 - 1,198,396 MWh
2011 - 1,222,333 MWh
2023 - 1,363,640 MWh
2024 - 1,410,169 MWh

As we can see, the consumption of solid fuels in the Sarajevo Canton for the period 2010-2024 increased by approximately 90%,
natural gas has a decrease in consumption, and electricity has a slight increase in consumption.

What we can emphasize regarding natural gas consumption is that in 2010 the number of customers with registered natural gas consumption was 57,620, and in 2024 the number of customers amounted to 58,099. On the other hand, data from Sarajevogas on the official website is that in the Sarajevo Canton the number of consumers amounts to 89,000.

When we analyze this data, the conclusion is obvious: the air in the Sarajevo Canton is polluted for three
primary reasons:

- drastic increase in the use of solid fuels,
- decrease in natural gas consumption,
- dramatically large number of gas connections, without natural gas consumption.

In addition to these elements that affect air pollution in the Sarajevo Canton, there is also the increase in the number of vehicles, which now amounts to 170,000
vehicles.

"Now let's see the measures of the Sarajevo Canton Government?
The Sarajevo Canton Government signed a loan debt worth 22.7 million EUR. This amount also includes 4,500
buildings that will be subsidized in replacing inefficient heating systems, i.e., switching from solid
fuels to pellet boilers and heat pumps. Here it should be known that it is estimated that in the Sarajevo Canton there are approximately
45,000 households that use solid fuels. It is estimated that the transition from solid fuels to environmentally acceptable energy sources will cost 500,000,000 BAM. Thermal insulation is being carried out on a total of 17 buildings out of tens of thousands of buildings that do not meet basic energy standards. Purchase of 60-70 public transport vehicles out of 170,000 vehicles, most of which have EURO 4 standard and lower. Street washing, this is not even worth mentioning", state KV SBiH.

They add: "Finally, one logical question arises. Natural gas was brought to the Sarajevo Canton for the purpose of protecting the human environment, and now we have approximately 30,000 gas connections, colloquially speaking, 'just like that'. Gas consumption is
lower with a drastic increase in connections, which is, we must admit, to say the least, illogical. If the air was cleaner in 2010 or 2011, then there is an initial solution. In 15 years, the use of solid fuels has increased by 90%, and this should be a topic at the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, not the energy needs of the Sarajevo Canton, retroactively, as an unnecessary and meaningless document".