The artificial snowmaking system at the state Ski Center Kolašin 1600 is still in the conceptual design phase, and tomorrow it should be known who made the most favorable offer for the preparation of complete technical documentation and the realization of that long-awaited project. However, already during the tender procedure, there were numerous objections to how the system was designed.
Interested bidders who, during the tendering procedure, commented on the program task and the conceptual solution, believe that the artificial snowmaking system is unprofitable, that it will cause losses to the ski area and be detrimental to the public interest. Numerous objections refer to specific technical solutions, which, as stated by some bidders, will make the project more expensive and unsustainable in the long term.
It is planned that the state will pay more than nine million euros for the water infrastructure and artificial snowmaking system. In addition to artificial snow for the slopes of the private and state ski center, this should provide enough water for all hotels and tourist resorts, the construction of which is planned within the mountain centers Kolašin 1600 and Kolašin 1450.
The system that would "catch" the Ljevaja River right below the source should replace the missing amounts of water for the city.
According to the documentation available on the website of the Montenegrin Electronic Public Procurement (CeJN), one of the interested bidders reminds that the current concept solution and the project task were done "in contrast to the Main Snowmaking Project of the Kolašin 1600 Ski Center, which was done in 2019". Allegedly, there is a big difference in the amount of water provided for in that document, compared to the current conceptual solution and project task.
"Instead of a capacity of 100 liters per second (l/s), suddenly a capacity of 260 l/s is 'required' for snowmaking. So now, for the inflow of water for snowmaking, DN 500 pipes are needed, instead of half the cheaper and more than sufficient ones. Now, high-powered 640 kW pumps are needed, which are exclusively made to order and are extremely expensive, instead of mass-produced 240 kW pumps, which are more than sufficient. Thus, only the pipes and pumps, along with the accompanying construction costs, i.e., the installation of such defined elements, increase the value of the investment by at least several million euros, compared to what is really needed for the snowmaking of the entire 50-kilometer system of trails at both Kolašin ski centers ", wrote one of the bidders.
He claims that the costs of maintaining such a system as well as the consumption of electricity for pumping water for snowmaking purposes "create a real price for water, which will be completely unacceptable for any ski resort operator".
"Commercial procurement of water will cause loss to either the Waterworks or the ski resorts, and most likely both. It will be possible to cover those losses only with state aid, that is, through recapitalization, or water will have to be sold at uneconomic - subsidized prices, which is not allowed by the Law on State Aid. This kind of investment, as foreseen by the project task and conceptual solution for the water supply of the ski centers Kolašin 1450 and Kolašin 1600, is absolutely unprofitable, because it can be paid off only in the second half of the next century (thus longer than the expected term), and it is justified the issue of unconscionable disposal of state funds to the detriment of the citizens of Montenegro".
Some of the bidders stated that there are "fundamental errors to the detriment of the state and local self-government" in the conceptual solution.
This, above all, as specified, refers to the system for artificial snow, while the water supply system is allegedly excellent.
One of the bidders claims that "making snow on every track, every ski road, as envisaged in the conceptual solution, is economically unsustainable and ski resorts will never be able to operate profitably without state aid".
"In the project assignment and the given conceptual solution, there are completely unrealistic figures about water consumption, that is, the required inflow. Among other things, the inflow of 260 l/s is at least five times greater than what is needed, even if the unrealistic 50 km of trails are covered with snow... Instead of the reservoir as close as possible to the top, the reservoir or reservoir at the height of the Ski Center Kolašin 1600 is mentioned, which requires the installation of additional pumps of enormous power…”.
In October 2021, the government paid the ski resorts 1,5 million euros from the current budget reserve to finance the construction, maintenance and valorization of multi-purpose sports infrastructure. In order for that company to be able to operate in 2020, 1,18 million euros were allocated from the state budget, of which 1,1 million related to covering operating costs, and the rest for the purchase of basic assets...
In the Agency for the Protection of Competition (AZK), the procedure related to the compliance of state aid of 250.000 euros, which the former Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism gave SCG in 2018 for the preparation of the winter tourist season, has been going on for more than two years.
Remarks are not accepted
The Kolašin company Vodovod i Kanalizacija, which will manage the system for artificial snowmaking and water supply in Bjelasica and which ordered the conceptual solution, judging by the response to the bidders, did not consider any of the objections.
They remind that the designer "when calculating the water needs of the system had at his disposal all the necessary spatial planning documentation, previous research and studies, as well as the existing technical documentation related to the snowmaking of the mountain centers Kolašin 1600 and Kolašin 1450.
"Criticisms that are based on serious critical reflection are in the best interest of every project, and in this particular case must be based on technical calculations, not guesswork and statistical comparison with others. Technical calculations must be accompanied by financial analyses, which must not be limited to the estimate of the works accompanying the construction, but must look at all aspects of the sustainability of a project. This means not only the period of construction and exploitation, but also the justification of the creation of preconditions for future development and capacity increase", answered the Water and Sewerage Department.
Part of the water of the river Ljevaja is used for the needs of the hydropower plant in Mušovića Rijeka, which was built immediately after the Second World War and is still functioning, and part of the river flows through the village. The inhabitants of that village had previously expressed reservations about the intention that Ljevaja, as they said, "be led down the hill, and then up the hill to the ski center and for the needs of investors." They are afraid that the riverbed will remain dry after the implementation of the project.
As it is written in the proposed solution for the system of snowmaking and water supply of mountain centers, the water would be captured on the surface immediately below the source, at about 1.290 meters above sea level (msl), and the planned amount of capture is 400 l/s. From the water intake, the pipeline descends to an altitude of 1.100 meters above sea level, where the pipeline route crosses the road from Kolašin - Jezerina. The possibility of connecting the Kolašin water supply will be left at that place. It is also the lowest point of the pipeline.
"On this or a nearby location, an interruption chamber with a water treatment system could be built that could potentially cover high zones in the city of Kolašin. The minimum available water supply capacity for Kolašin would be 110 l/s. This is the amount of water that could be withdrawn during the period when the maximum capacity of the ski center's water supply system is used. That simultaneous maximum consumption would be extremely rare and almost at all times the Kolašin Waterworks could use up to 250 l/s of water, which would be more than enough for the future and current needs of the city," the conceptual solution reads.
The remaining part of the water (290 l/s) would go through the gravity pipeline to the main pumping station at an altitude of 1.240 meters above sea level. The main pumping station has a planned reservoir of 1.400 cubic meters and is positioned next to the road that leads to the ski resort, on the right bank of the Paljevina River.
Two pressure pipelines lead from the main pumping station. The pressure pipeline follows the route of the road and pushes the water to the location where the road to the Kolašin 1600 ski resort diverges. Zoran Ćoć Bećirović from the road Kolašin - Lubnice. The place of "handover" from the Vodovod company to the end users, i.e. ski resorts Kolašin 1450 1600, is foreseen there.
As written in the conceptual solution, a flow of 260 l/s will be provided with a lifting height up to 1.600 m above sea level. Another pipeline from the main pumping station would push 30 l/s to the reservoir for the needs of settlement 1.450.
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