January 5 (SeeNews) - Montenegro's state-owned power utility EPCG [MNE:EPCG] plans to invest additional 15 million euro ($17 million) in the reconstruction of Pljevlja coal-fired thermal power plant (TPP) to comply with Energy Community requirements, local media quoted CEO Nikola Rovcanin as saying.
"The expert team we formed came to the conclusion that it is necessary to invest an additional 15 million euro in the reconstruction of the plant's boiler, in order to comply with all European regulations and standards," Rovcanin said in an interview for daily Pobjeda, published on Tuesday.
Last year, Montenegro signed a 54.4 million euro contract for the reconstruction of Pljevlja TPP with a consortium led by China's Dongfang Electric (DEC) but later the contractor informed the government that the planned amount will not be enough for an overhaul to meet the environmental standards set by the European Energy Community.
Consequently, EPCG launched a tender for the reconstruction of the plant's boiler in which DEC could also bid, Rovcanin said.
"We hope that a contractor will be selected by the end of January or by the beginning of February," he added.
In February 2021, the director of the Energy Community secretariat, Janez Kopac, said infringement proceedings will be launched against Montenegro for failing to close Pljevlja TPP although the facility has exceeded the maximum operational hours set under the Large Combustion Plants Directive which regulates the levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and dust emissions from existing power plants in the six Western Balkan countries.
($ = 0.88446 euro)