The coal mine and thermal power plant (TE) produce 40 percent of electricity in Montenegro, announced the executive director of the Pljeval company, Nemanja Laković, and confirmed that there is a complete commitment to start and implement the green transition process.
Laković is participating in the Second Economic Dialogue between Montenegro and the United States of America (USA), where the Memorandum on Economic Cooperation between the governments of the two countries was signed in Washington, which represents the basis of further connection between the economic sectors of the two countries.
"Bilateral cooperation in the energy sector through the modernization of the power grid, market integration and the transition to clean energy sources was particularly emphasized," the coal mine announced.
Speaking at the panel on energy security and decarbonization, Laković emphasized the energy and economic importance of the Pljevlja Coal Mine and TE Pljevlja system.
"In the coal mine, a department for just transition and a work unit construction group were formed. Work has also begun to investigate the potential of land owned by the company. The plan is to form a group for exploratory drilling and blasting and obtain the necessary accreditations and certificates for the laboratory, which will enable it to enter the market," said Laković.
He pointed out that help and support is needed in the realization of investments, in order to enter the market with new activities.
According to Laković, Rudnik uglja and TE are the backbone of economic, energy and economic development, which in the last five years have produced around 840 million euros of electricity in market values.
"So a total of 1,6 thousand people work in Rudnik and TE, so the economic stability of the entire city relies on these two companies. We need to work very carefully, cautiously and quickly, and we hope that we will get realistic deadlines when we will be ready to shut down the existing ones and create alternatives for the jobs we have, as well as the income that Montenegro generates through the mentioned systems", said Laković.
The US Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment, Jose V. Fernandez, announced that the US is ready to help Montenegro transition to clean energy sources, assessing that a successful transition will promote prosperity and the country's accession to the European Union (EU).
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