Montenegrin state-owned power utility EPCG has announced the reconnection of its small hydropower plants (SHPP) Podgor and Rijeka Crnojevica to the electricity grid following a complete reconstruction. The renovation, valued at approximately €1.6 million, included the full replacement of hydro-mechanical and electrical equipment, installation of power and control systems, as well as interior and exterior upgrades to the machinery building. The rehabilitation also involved the modernization of intake structures, along with the implementation of a remote management and monitoring system linked to HPP Perucica, under whose management the plants now operate.
SHPP Podgor and SHPP Rijeka Crnojevica are the oldest electricity generation facilities owned by EPCG, having been commissioned in 1941. They have been out of service since 2015. With the reconstruction completed, the two plants are expected to generate around 3.5 GWh of green electricity annually.
Radovan Djukanovic, Director of HPP Perucica, noted that the reconstruction also allows the plants to operate autonomously, managed remotely from HPP Perucica. The reconstruction process began in 2017, with the conceptual design being finalized by late 2018. A public tender for the development of the main design and equipment procurement was held, resulting in a contract awarded to local company Vigoris in early 2023.
SHPP Podgor has an installed capacity of 360 kW and is expected to produce 1.8 GWh annually, while SHPP Rijeka Crnojevica, with an installed capacity of 451 kW, is projected to generate 1.7 GWh of green electricity each year.
