Montenegro adopts new energy strategy

The Montenegrin government will submit its energy development strategy until 2025 to the EC in the next few days. The text will be in English, while any comments will be included within the action plan for implementing the document, it was announced today after a government meeting. Montenegro adopts new energy strategy On Tuesday, European Commission (EC) representatives asked the government to delay adoption of the strategy until they had received an English translation, in order to study it and give comments. After the meeting where the plan was adopted, Energy Minister Branimir Gvozdenovic said that with ”this document, Montenegro has finally got a clear energy strategy, in line with international standards that guarantee energy development vital for overall economic development.” Gvozdenovic explained that an action plan would be put together in the next four months, that would allow the strategy to be applied, and that the job would be entrusted to Slovenian consulting house Korona, in conjunction with UNID. The strategy envisages the construction of a second block of a thermo-power station, the Komarnica hydro-electric power station and the 4 HE system in Moraca, that are expected to supply an extra 407 gigawatts of electricity per year. Government representatives explain that this is the easier option, as it had been calculated that using overall hydro-electric potential would allow the production of 1400 gigawatts of electrical energy. Construction of the smaller hydro-electric plants is expected to take three years, while completion of the second block of the thermo-electric plant in Pljevlji is scheduled for 2011. The projects are expected to cost around EUR 2bn. The energy minister said that construction of the facilities would enhance the country’s macro-economic stability, and that electricity prices would fall as result of the reduced need for imports. The strategy envisages the privatization of Elektroprivreda (the Montengrin electricity company), though it has yet to be determined which facilities and companies will change hands.

Montenegro adopts new energy strategy

On Tuesday, European Commission (EC) representatives asked the government to delay adoption of the strategy until they had received an English translation, in order to study it and give comments.

After the meeting where the plan was adopted, Energy Minister Branimir Gvozdenović said that with ”this document, Montenegro has finally got a clear energy strategy, in line with international standards that guarantee energy development vital for overall economic development.”

Gvozdenović explained that an action plan would be put together in the next four months, that would allow the strategy to be applied, and that the job would be entrusted to Slovenian consulting house Korona, in conjunction with UNID.

The strategy envisages the construction of a second block of a thermo-power station, the Komarnica hydro-electric power station and the 4 HE system in Morača, that are expected to supply an extra 407 gigawatts of electricity per year.

Government representatives explain that this is the easier option, as it had been calculated that using overall hydro-electric potential would allow the production of 1400 gigawatts of electrical energy.

Construction of the smaller hydro-electric plants is expected to take three years, while completion of the second block of the thermo-electric plant in Pljevlji is scheduled for 2011.

The projects are expected to cost around EUR 2bn.

The energy minister said that construction of the facilities would enhance the country’s macro-economic stability, and that electricity prices would fall as result of the reduced need for imports.

The strategy envisages the privatization of Elektroprivreda (the Montengrin electricity company), though it has yet to be determined which facilities and companies will change hands.