This will be a challenging energy year for Montenegro, said the Minister of Energy and Mining, Admir Šahmanović, while appearing on the Colors of Morning program of Vijesti TV.
The shutdown of the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant, which produces about 40 percent of the required energy, is a special challenge, he says, so they will try to shorten the time for the ecological reconstruction, which is scheduled to last until November 15th.
"The thermal power plant produces electricity worth around 15 million euros per month in monetary terms. So every completion before the deadline is beneficial for the state budget and the budget of the Electric Power Company (EPCG). Additional workers need to be hired, so colleagues from the Electric Power Company are now negotiating rapidly in that area. In the meantime, colleagues from EPCG have secured some 80 million euros, which is needed to bridge this period. So I believe that we will be safe on that side in terms of supply. It will not affect the increase in the price of electricity. As you know, electricity is a market commodity. Unfortunately, it is still a social issue in our country, but we now have a new Energy Law that recognizes the term energy poverty. In this context, we are cooperating with the European Union (EU) delegation, with colleagues from the region and colleagues from the Ministry of Social Welfare in order to best recognize those categories that cannot afford to pay higher electricity prices when that happens in the future, which will inevitably happen," said Šahmanović.
The reconstruction of the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant will significantly reduce CO2 emissions and over 90 percent of particulate matter emissions in the air in Pljevlja.
However, it will be able to be in operation until 2041 at the latest, with the situation being reviewed every four years.
Šahmanović also pointed out that the ministry is trying to obtain an exemption from CBAM, i.e. the collection of taxes on exported electricity with high CO2 emissions.
This is a new EU mechanism that should begin to apply from January 1, 2026, and which would cost Montenegro hundreds of millions of euros.
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