The city of Tuzla is placed in North-East part of the country, with around 170,000 inhabitants. The DH system is based on cogeneration (CHP) in Tuzla’s coal-based power plant (Tuzla TPP)operated by EPBiH power utility. Tuzla TPP is the supplier of heat to both Tuzla City (220 MWth) and Lukavac city (50 MWth). In the near future, the town of Živinice is planned to be supplied with the thermal power of 70 MWth.
The instantaneous power of DH Tuzla is 220 MWth, with designed temperature regime 145/75 °C at -17 °C outdoor air temperature and steady fluid flow. The DH Tuzla system consists of 10 km of main pipeline (DN600-DN250), while about 170 km of heating network is ensuring that heat from the Tuzla TPP reaches the customers. Around 80% of consumers in Tuzla city are connected to the DH Tuzla. There are around 900 heating substations. Around 80% of consumers in Tuzla city are connected to the DH Tusla. There are around 900 heating substations. Big substations (195 - 1,200 kW) are supplying tall blocks of flats, others (60 - 190 kW) are supplying small and medium-sized buildings and finally a small type of substation (20 - 55 kW) is used for individual houses. There are 17 points on the remote control and management system of district heating network together with 39 heating substations. The total heating area is 1,732,660 m2 with 23,200 consumers (almost 90% of flats, other 10% commercials). The DH Tuzla network is operated by the distribution company Grijanje Tuzla, owned by Tuzla City.
In the past 10 years, a large number of old substations have been replaced by new modern ones, while distribution side pumps have been replaced by electronic pumps. It is recognized that the system could be more efficient and economical. It should be considered that the DH Tuzla system in this form is in exploitation for 27 years, and some parts of the heat network are aged over 35 years. To achieve more efficient and sustainable DH Tuzla system, the following tasks are subject to further improving and upgrading DH: performing better designing of the reconstruction and expansion of the DH Tuzla system, upgrading the remote control and management, as well as introducing RES-based solutions into DH Tuzla system.