Laković: The essence is to preserve jobs, so that they remain stable even after the potential closure of the mine

As Montenegro prepares for a just transition, the key question is what happens after coal? In Pljevlja, where thousands of families depend on work in the mine and thermal power plant, planning for the future is not just an economic issue, but also an existential one.

"The essence is to preserve these jobs, so that even after the eventual closure of the mine, hopefully in 2049, when the reserves expire, these jobs remain stable. So that we don't lose 2000 jobs in the city with the mine closure without replacing them," said the director of the Pljevlja Coal Mine, Nemanja Laković.

That is why Rudnik uglja has already taken concrete steps. The Just Transition Plan foresees the establishment of 12 new businesses, based on existing staff and market needs in Pljevlja. Some of these companies have already started operating.

"Such as the construction service, which has won several tenders on the market. We work for the Pljevlja water supply company, we work for the Eco Fund on the construction of facades, and internally within the EPCG group, we will complete several projects for them," Laković pointed out.

An asphalt base is also being launched soon, as well as a ready-made plant for the production of HTZ equipment for the needs of the Mine and the Electric Power Company. Thanks to the existing equipment and professional staff, the company will soon have a certified laboratory for soil and air testing, while the plan is to launch a machine shop on the market, as well as an IT service for designing network systems, which opens up new business opportunities for this company. And since the basis of the transition is environmental protection, the "green economy" is a basic component.

"This year, we planned to recultivate 34 hectares of mine land, which is more than has been done in the past 15 years. So, with the relocation of the Ćehotina riverbed, we will have a situation where the mine is moving away from the city center, the riverbed is approaching the city, and an attractive part is freed up for city development," said Laković.

Laković emphasizes that the main challenge is that no European institution has yet clearly offered money for transition in non-EU countries. Therefore, Rudnik uglja, in addition to its own allocations, will try to secure grants from accession funds to finance projects that enable a sustainable future for Pljevlja.