The Electric Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG) plans to build a solar power plant "Štedim" in the same place in Nikšić, where 2,5 thousand panels will be installed on 236,25 million square meters. The Štedimska Cave is also located at this location, but there will be no work in its immediate vicinity.
This is stated, among other things, in the documentation that EPCG submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency, in order to decide whether they need an Environmental Impact Assessment Study for this job.
The solar power plant is planned to have a maximum capacity of 137.028 megawatts (MWp), while the annual production is expected to be 169.72 gigawatt-hours (GWh). This power plant will be located about six kilometers from the center of Nikšić, and will be connected to the Nikšić-Vilusi highway and the local road to Riđane.
"The location for the construction of the solar power plant is located in the municipality of Nikšić, cadastral municipality of Štedim and Kuside. The total area of the plots planned for the construction of the power plant in question is approximately 2.500.000 square meters. The area planned for the installation of the panels includes the archaeological site of Štedimska Pećina, so it is planned that the installation of solar panels will not be carried out within a radius of approximately 150 meters from the entrance to the cave. A corridor has been provided to the said cave within which solar panels will not be installed. In order to achieve the proposed installed capacity of 137.028MWp, 23 modules (panels) were used for the implementation of each of the 10.272 smaller power plants, which are arranged in a large number of equal rows...", the documentation states.
It also states that there is no infrastructure or built structures on these plots, and that the site is not included in the “Natura 2000” network. According to the data, standard pollution is expected at the construction site, but the construction and operation of the solar power plant is not expected to have a major impact on the environment.
It is emphasized that the characteristics of the landscape will be changed during construction because vegetation cover will be removed for the solar power plant and substation, but that this will be done carefully in order to preserve animal habitats and species and the ecosystem. It is emphasized that the project will not produce emissions into the air and will not affect watercourses and soil, i.e. the small volume of temporary works will not significantly affect environmental pollution.
At the end of February this year, the government issued urban planning and technical requirements for the preparation of technical documentation for the construction of this project.
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