The Save Komarnica initiative said that they had sent an urgent letter today to the Government of Montenegro and all competent institutions with a request to abandon the project to build the Komarnica hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in the canyon of the same name.
The letter, as stated in a statement sent to the media, was signed by individuals from the international community of economists, engineers, energy experts, ecologists, biologists, and lawyers.
"The Komarnica Canyon has been recognized as a nominated international Emerald and Natura 2000 area, representing one of the last preserved mosaics of wild ecosystems in Europe, home to rare and endemic species.
The signatories warn that no cost-benefit analysis has been conducted, nor are economic and energy studies available to justify such a project. Independent estimates show that the construction of the hydroelectric power plant would cost more than 300 million euros, with a minimal contribution to Montenegro's total energy production - less than 2%.
"The signatories emphasize that the construction of the dam and the submergence of the canyon would lead to the permanent loss of endemic species, disrupt natural hydrological processes, and seriously jeopardize global efforts to preserve biodiversity," the statement said.
The civic initiative Save Komarnica reminded the public that the price of the hydroelectric power plant is constantly rising: in 2012 it was 183 million euros, in 2020 – 264 million, and from 2023, the Komarnica HPP will cost 343 million euros.
"There are better solutions, for example, a hybrid power plant (sun, wind, hydrogen) would provide at least 2 times more energy for the same money, and the river would remain preserved. The 'Komarnica' HPP would produce 7 times less electricity than the 'Pljevlja' thermal power plant, and if it were built, it would be put into operation in 10 years," they point out. From this initiative, they called on institutions and all responsible actors to protect the Komarnica Canyon, which, as they say, is a precious natural heritage that is part of the identity of Montenegro as an ecological state.
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