The state paid a generous 35,69 million euros for energy from renewable sources

From 2014 until the end of last year, the state purchased electricity worth EUR 35,69 million from the privileged electricity producers.

Of this, 22,85 million euros were paid to investors, most of whom are close to the ruling structures, last year alone.

All electricity produced by privileged investors is bought by the Montenegrin operator of the electricity market (COTEE) at subsidized prices, based on the electricity purchase contracts.

According to the data of the Energy Regulatory Agency (RAE), in 2018, seven privileged producers had a purchase agreement with COTEE from 14 production facilities. These are Hidroenergija Montenegro, Igma Energy, Synergy, Kronor, Hydro Bistrica, Nord Energy and Krnovo Green Energy.

15 million for Krnovo Energy

"In 2018, there was an increase in the amount of purchased electricity, as a result of a better hydrological situation and, to the greatest extent, due to the production of the wind power plant "Krnovo", which produced electricity throughout the year. Out of 22,85 million euros last year, the most money was paid to the company Krnovo Green Energy, 15,53 million euros," states RAE in its report on the state of the energy sector last year.

Incentive measures, in order to achieve the mandatory share of energy from renewable sources in the total final consumption, are established by the Law on Energy and include, among other things, the mandatory purchase of produced electricity, the incentive prices at which this energy is purchased, the period of validity of the mandatory purchase of electricity. ..

Electricity producers, after receiving the status of privileged producer, acquire the right to incentive measures. Hidroenergija Montenegro, Synergy, Igma Energy, Kronor, Krnovo Green Energy, Hydro Bistrica and Nord Energy have the status of privileged producer.

According to data from CRPS, the founders of Hidroenergija are Ranko Ubović, Aleksandar Mijajlović and the company Hemera capital (founder Oleg Obradović). Obradović is an authorized representative of Hidroenergija.

The founders of Sinergy are Kia Montenegro (founder Željko Đuranović, representative and CEO Vuk Rajković), Dragana Bošković, Tomaš Hajek, Uroš Karadžić and Radoje Vujadinović.

The owner of the company Igma enerdži is the Igma Grand of Igor Mašović, the brother of the mayor of Andrijevica Srđan Mašović.

The founders of Kronor are Željko Mišković's Kroling, Mont Hidro and Žarko Burić's Normal company. According to RAE data, the producers who acquired the temporary status of privileged producers in 2018 are BB Hidro Power AB Group, "Đekić", Vodovod i kanalizacija - Andrijevica, Plava Hydro Power, Hydra MNE, Hidroenergija Montenegro.

Behind BB Hidro stands Blažo Đukanović, the son of the state president and DPS leader Milo Đukanović.

On Thursday, the government made a decision to grant concessions for two new MHE companies, Hydro Logistics and PM Hydro. The owner of Hydro Logistics is Slaven Burzanović, who is also an authorized representative in the BB hydro company of Blaž Đukanović.

PM Hydro is owned by Marinko Radulović, who is the founder and director of the company "Ramel", which has business ties, also with the younger Đukanović.

Another company of the son of the president of the state, BB solar, pledged its business premises to Prva banka for a loan of EUR 359.000, which was granted to the company Ramel, two years ago.

The owners of MHE have a high guaranteed purchase price for the supplied electricity, which is paid by all consumers via a separate item on the bill.

55 million for 160 small power plants

A few years ago, citizens of Andrijevica, Plav, Beran, Bijelo Polje, Murin, Gusinja and residents of the villages of Bukovica and Štitarica protested against the construction of small hydropower plants (MHP), demanding the introduction of a ban on the construction of new ones.

According to the concluded contracts, the construction of MHE is planned on the territory of the municipalities of Andrijevica, Berane, Budva, Kolašin, Plav, Šavnik, Mojkovac, Bijelo Polje and Plužine.

RAE states that in the previous period, significant activities were carried out within the framework of MHE construction projects on a large number of watercourses.

"On the basis of the six conducted tender procedures, 18 concession contracts are implemented, which provide for the construction of 37 MHPs. On the basis of the energy license, 18 concession contracts were concluded, which provide for the construction of 18 MHE whose installed capacity is below 1 MW individually. In accordance with the above, on the basis of 36 concluded concession contracts, a total of 55 HPPs are planned to be built, of which 13 have been completed so far and received a use permit. The total installed power of all MHE, the construction of which is foreseen by the concluded contracts, is about 96 MW, and the total annual production is about 313 GWh. The value of investments for all planned MHPs is estimated at around 160 million euros".

As written in the report, these projects significantly contribute to the multi-purpose development of municipalities, through the construction of road and electric power infrastructure, the construction of tourist and hospitality facilities, electrification of the katuns, reconstruction of public lighting and employment of the local population.

The "Možura" wind power plant will start operating by the end of this year

RAE states that the "Možura" wind power plant, with an installed capacity of 46MW, will be put into operation this year. That wind farm was put into trial operation last year.

"During trial operation in 2017 and in the period from obtaining the status of privileged producer in November 2017 to the end of 2018, 257,25 GWh of electricity was produced in the wind power plant 'Krnovo', of which 2018 GWh in 162,27 , which accounts for 4,33 percent of the total production achieved this year," the RAE report says.