In Serbia, where it operates through three local companies, Petrol currently has 15 points of sale, with another set to open in Čačak in July, while by 2025 the company plans to expand its network to 50 locations.
We have taken on an active role in increasing energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy sources, and we see great potential in the combination of integrated energy management services, digitalisation of infrastructure systems and efficient use of energy and water – says Petrol General Manager Uroš Bider.
Petrol is the largest energy company in Southeast Europe. What is your position like in the region and on the Serbian market?
– Global trends are directed towards combating climate change and the growth of renewable energy sources, but there isn’t expected to be a significant reduction in the share of oil and gas in the overall energy balance yet. The use of these energy sources has also been increasing in Serbia over the last few years. It’s for this reason that directing capacities towards strengthening the core business, i.e. the sale of petroleum products, remains one of the strategic goals of the Petrol Group. A step in that direction was already made at the beginning of this year, when agreement was reached with Croatian chain Crodux to take over their retail network, with which Petrol Group’s leadership position in the region was strengthened in terms of the number of filling stations, with more than 600 points of sale.
Petrol operates in Serbia through three local companies. Petrol d.o.o. deals with retail and wholesale operations for petroleum products and merchandise, but also energy solutions. Through a public-private partnership, we manage public lighting in the municipalities of Sečanj, Vrbas and Priboj, and, since July, in the municipality of Zaječar. Beogas d.o.o. deals with the design, construction and maintenance of gas pipelines in five Serbian municipalities, in Belgrade’s Voždovac, Čukarica and Palilula, as well as in Šimanovci and Bačka Topola, while company Petrol LPG d.o.o. deals with imports, production and sales of liquefied petroleum gas in Serbia and the region. Petrol covers over 20% of the market share for liquefied petroleum gas in Serbia.
Petrol’s strategic focus in Serbia will continue to be on energy efficiency projects, expanding the network for the distribution of natural gas and expanding the retail network of filling stations
Petrol is dedicated to the transition to green energy and devotes significant investments to that. Can you tell us what kind of investments it is dealing with now?
– The Petrol Group has planned investments in the region totalling 698 million euros during the 2021-2025 period, 35% of which will be investments in the energy transition. The plan is to have 160MW of wind and solar power plants installed in 2025, which is 78% more than in 2020. The number of electric charging stations will increase to 1,575, while energy renovation projects will achieve energy savings of 73 GWh for end users.
What Petrol Group’s plans in Serbia? Do you plan to further expand your operations?
– Sustainable development is our priority, representing the core of our mission and business model. Petrol’s strategic focus in Serbia will continue to be on energy efficiency projects, expanding the network for the distribution of natural gas and expanding the retail network of filling stations in Serbia. Traditional motor fuels will continue to be dominant for some time to come, but even today we’re already providing consumers with more environmentally friendly solutions. The filling station in Kragujevac is our first point of sale in Serbia to have included CNG in its offer, and we plan to have eight more new points of sale with CNG filling pumps in 2022. We launched the first charger for electric cars at our point of sale on Belgrade’s Ada Ciganlija this May. And we also plan to expand this segment of charging stations in the coming years.