Statement by Ministry of Economy: Block II of Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja to resolve energy and environmental issues

Podgorica, Montenegro (5 September 2016) -- Concerning the claims made by the NGO Green Home in connection with the project of the construction of the Block II of the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja, the Ministry of Economy states the following:

The project of construction of the Block II of the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja is a priority project of the Government of Montenegro, which is identified as such in all its strategic documents, including the Energy Development Strategy of Montenegro by 2030. The document is fully compliant with EU directives and international conventions on the protection of the environment and which, prior to the adoption, received a positive assessment by the Energy Community Secretariat in Vienna, the official institution of the EU in the energy sector in Southeast Europe.

Thus, the Energy Community, with which the Government of Montenegro is in constant communication about this and other projects in the energy field, monitors and supports our activities in the field of energy. In that regard, it is clear that Montenegro needs new energy facility that will provide energy independence of the country, security and stability of supply, diversification of sources and resolve the deficit issue, while at the same respecting the highest standards in the field of energy, applying the best technical solutions and providing the best international practices in the field of environmental protection.

All this will be achieved by building the Block II of the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja and other power facilities. In addition to being a strategic project at the state level, both in economic and energy terms, the Block II is a project of great importance for the city of Pljevlja. As the most recent studies have shown, the project is supported by almost 70 % of the population of the city because, in addition to the positive impact it will have on employment, it will resolve environmental issues of the city and the issue of heating in this area.

Furthermore, the project of the construction of the Block II of the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja does not exclude the implementation of projects concerning the use of renewable energy sources, on the contrary. Aiming to achieve the national goal of 33% share of renewable energy sources in final energy consumption by 2020, which is required by the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community, Montenegro has concluded 21 contract for the construction of 41 small hydro power plants. So far, 8 of them have been put into operation and another three are planned to be put into the operation by the end of the year. Work are in progress on the construction of two wind farms - Krnovo and Možura, and the Government of Montenegro is working intensively towards finding the best solution for the construction of hydro power plants on the rivers Morača and Komarnica.

Finally, according to the new EU directives, thermal power plants will be able to work from the end of 2017 until 2023, meaning another 20,000 hours. This implies that with the current mode of operation of the thermal power plant, and without building the Block II, after the approved expenditure of time, it would have to be shut down, which would lead to a deficit of electricity in the country. Therefore, by implementing this project, Montenegro aspires to  build a stable energy system that will resolve the issues of deficit of electricity and security of supply for its citizens and businesses.