The main project for the expansion of the "Možura" landfill between Bar and Ulcinj, worth around 200.000 euros, will be ready this summer, after which an international tender for the works will be announced, possibly by the end of the year, in order to resolve one of the most pressing waste management issues in Montenegro.
The government did not want to give up land for the much-needed expansion, even though it would solve the waste disposal problem for the next 20 years, so "Možura" purchased a privately owned property for over a million euros, although the executive branch had allocated 15 million euros for the project in this year's budget.
Director of “Možura” Senad Arabelović He said last October that the landfill's capacity could meet needs for at most another year and that its expansion was crucial, which was also discussed at local assembly sessions.
The municipal company told "Vijesti" that the landfill management initiated the first procedures related to the expansion of the landfill's capacity four years ago, aware of the fact that this is one of the most important infrastructure and environmental projects not only for Bar and Ulcinj, but for the entire coastal region of Montenegro.
From the very beginning, they had the support of the founding municipalities, Bar and Ulcinj, who recognized the importance of this issue and understood that the problem of waste management must be solved in a planned, responsible and timely manner.
In the previous period, several studies and analyses were conducted that showed that the most rational and economically viable solution was to expand capacity on the land located next to the existing landfill, which was privately owned.
For this reason, in 2023, Možura purchased 44.430 square meters of land from private owners, worth more than 1,1 million euros, from its own funds. This created the basic prerequisites for a more serious approach to the preparation and implementation of the landfill capacity expansion project.
There was also an initiative for the Government of Montenegro to allocate an additional 40.000 square meters of land in its ownership.
"This would solve the issue of waste management in the coastal region in the long term for the next 20 years. However, we did not receive a positive response to this initiative," said "Možura".
An important step in this process, they point out, was the Decision of the Mayor of Bar on issuing urban planning and technical conditions for the construction of a local facility of general interest, which enabled the expansion project to be implemented on the land in question. Without that decision, they claim, further activities on the preparation of the project would not have been possible.
The project was supported by the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development, as well as the Ministry of Capital Investments. The Government of Montenegro, in its 2026 Budget and borrowing decision, allocated 15 million euros for the expansion of the landfill's capacity.
"The development of the Main Project for the landfill expansion is currently in its final phase, and its revision is being carried out in parallel with the development of the project. We expect the revised Main Project to be completed during the summer months, which will create the conditions for announcing an international tender for the execution of the works. The value of the Main Project is around 200.000 euros and is financed from 'Možura' funds," they told the editorial office.
The project to expand the capacity of the Regional Waste Management Center "Možura" is being implemented in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which, through a grant, provided consulting support for the preparation of technical documentation and providing expert guidance for other important "Možura" projects.
"These projects, among other things, relate to the construction of a recycling and composting center, as well as a leachate treatment system. All projects that 'Možura' will implement will be in line with European standards, rules and legislation in the field of environmental protection and waste management. The value of the EBRD grant is 480.000 euros," the municipal company said.
Instead of inter-municipal, it became regional
Responding to questions about the capacity of the "Možura" landfill, the director's office said that it was designed as an inter-municipal landfill for the needs of the municipalities of Bar and Ulcinj, with a planned exploitation period of 25 years.
However, immediately after the start of operations in 2012, “Možura” became a waste disposal center not only for Bar and Ulcinj, but also for the municipalities of Budva, Kotor and Tivat. This significantly shortened its projected lifespan, they noted.
To date, more than a million tons of waste have been disposed of at "Možura".
"However, thanks to quality work, good management of landfill space and efficient waste compaction, space utilization is better than projected by about 40 percent. This has enabled the available capacities to be used longer and more rationally than originally planned," they said.
According to current management estimates, the existing landfill space can accommodate approximately 130.000 more tons of waste. Considering the quantities delivered to the landfill annually, it is clear that capacity expansion is necessary and cannot be postponed, they told "Vijesti".
When it comes to the amount of waste coming from coastal municipalities, if we look at the year 2025, the municipalities of Bar and Budva delivered the most. The municipality of Bar deposited around 28.000 tons of waste, while the municipality of Budva deposited around 23.000 tons.
This is followed by the Municipality of Ulcinj with approximately 17.000 tons and the Municipality of Kotor with around 15.500 tons, while the Municipality of Tivat deposited almost 8.000 tons of waste in 2025.
"These data clearly show that 'Možura' has regional significance and that the issue of expanding its capacities is not just a matter of one company or one municipality, but a matter of the stable functioning of the waste management system for a large part of the Montenegrin coast," the landfill management emphasized.
Enlargement - an ecological issue
When asked what the consequences would be if the "Možura" landfill were not expanded, the landfill management responded that coastal waste could only be disposed of in an ecological and sanitary manner at the "Livade" landfill in Podgorica, which is also facing the problem of overcrowding in sanitary vats.
"Waste should be viewed as a resource, and the best indicator of this is the landfill biogas power plant, which has been operating at 'Možura' since the end of December last year. It produces electricity from waste every day, which supplies Montenegrin households. This is the best example that, with responsible planning and modern technologies, waste can be converted into energy and value for the community," they told the editorial staff.
"Možura" is the regional center of the Montenegrin coast for waste management and plays a key role in the functioning of the environmental protection system in this part of the country, they added, emphasizing that its expansion is not only important for providing additional space for waste disposal, but also for the transition to a more modern, sustainable and European-harmonized waste management system.
Total value around 15 million euros
The management of "Možura" still does not know the final value of the investment for the landfill expansion, but they say that the revised main project will provide precise measurements and estimates of the works, after which the total figure will be known. The total costs will be around 15 million euros.
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