From the laying of the cornerstone to the present day, for the construction and commissioning of the "Gvozd" wind farm, work has been carried out on the construction of traffic infrastructure, i.e. the reconstruction of existing and the construction of new roads, with the aim of connecting individual wind turbines and creating conditions for the smooth transport of complete wind generator equipment and their installation.
This was officially announced to "Vijesti" by the Electric Power Company (EPCG), which laid the foundation stone for this wind farm on November 20th last year.
The total planned installed capacity of the “Gvozd” wind farm will be 54,6 megawatts (MW), with an expected annual production of around 150 gigawatt-hours (GWh) and will cover the needs of 25.000 households.
"The contract stipulates a deadline for the construction of the power plant of 18 months, while in accordance with the current pace of work, it is expected to be operational even earlier than the stated deadline, and trial operation is expected by the end of the year," the state-owned energy company said.
As they explained, the construction of access roads represents a significant part of the comprehensive planned works, while the key role in the dynamics of the construction implementation will be played by the implementation of activities under the contract for the procurement, delivery, installation and commissioning of wind generators, where the process of manufacturing the main equipment is underway. EPCG said that this contract with the German company "Nordex SE & Co. KG" and "Nordex Montenegro" was signed on November 20 last year.
"Wind turbines and associated equipment have not yet been delivered. The first delivery of associated equipment, namely anchor baskets, is expected at the end of April, while the delivery of the main components of the wind turbine to the site is expected at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter of 2025. After the implementation of construction works on access roads, plateaus and foundations of the wind turbine, conditions will be created for the smooth transport of oversized cargo, namely complete wind turbine equipment, as well as for their installation. The transport of wind turbine equipment within Montenegro is planned from the Port of Bar to individual wind turbine locations. The first delivery of the main components of the wind turbine to the site is expected at the end of the third, beginning of the fourth quarter of 2025, while installation would begin immediately after delivery," the energy company said.
The state energy company received the main construction permit for the construction of the "Gvozd" power plant in July last year.
The project is being implemented through the project company "Green Gvozd", which will be 100% owned by EPCG.
Project activities for the construction of the Gvozd wind farm include the phased construction and commissioning of standard platforms for the installation of wind turbines and foundations on which wind turbine poles will be placed, the 33/110 kV Gvozd transformer station at the project location, the reconstruction of the 33/110 kV Krnovo transformer station, then the construction of a single 110 kV transmission line TS Gvozd - TS Krnovo, 3125 m long, as well as the construction of a single 110 kV transmission line TS Gvozd - TS Nikšić, 14730 m long and the reconstruction of the 35/110 kV Nikšić transformer station.
The construction of VE "Gvozd" and the necessary infrastructure for connection to the electric power system of Montenegro will be fully financed from credit funds without the anticipated participation of investors, with an appropriate grace period during construction, so that the project will essentially pay for itself.
In the first announcement of this project, EPCG announced the expected start of construction of the Gvozd wind farm in 2021, and the commissioning 18 months after the start of work. However, it was later clarified that the coronavirus pandemic was the key reason for the delay in the construction of the wind farm, as it affected the acquisition of the necessary permits, approvals and negotiations on financing this project.
10 million withdrawn from EBRD loan
The project will be financed from a loan from the EBRD, with which a loan agreement was signed in June 2023. The loan is worth 82 million euros.
"The total amount realized so far under all construction contracts is around 10 million euros," EPCG said.
The loan agreement for the financing of the “Gvozd” wind farm construction project was preceded by the signing of Annex 8 to the Agreement on Land Lease and Wind Farm Construction (between the Government of Montenegro and Krnovo Green Energy) and the Agreement on Regulating Rights and Obligations.
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