Montenegro’s state-owned power company EPCG has reported that the environmental reconstruction of the Pljevlja coal-fired thermal power plant has faced certain deficiencies and irregularities, which could potentially delay the project.
EPCG noted that the project is highly complex in both scale and technical requirements and has been ongoing for several years. Over the past six months, the company has increased oversight, dedicating all available resources to ensure the project remains on schedule.
Under the contract, the contractor consortium led by DEC is required to complete the works by December 1, but EPCG requested in mid-March that the completion date be moved up to November 15. While DEC has resolved most of the identified issues, problems with the fire protection system remain. All issues related to the chimney adaptation subproject have been corrected, and remaining challenges in the boiler adaptation segment are set to be reviewed with the contractor at the end of September.
To speed up progress, EPCG reassigned part of its maintenance workforce to areas where quicker results can be achieved. The company’s project team continues to closely monitor activities and recommends corrective measures to improve workflow. If further interventions are needed, EPCG said they will be implemented immediately.
Government reports emphasized that to recover from existing delays, the contractor must increase its workforce, involve additional specialized subcontractors, and utilize more equipment, including round-the-clock shifts in affected areas.
The downtime at TPP Pljevlja this year has also caused financial losses for both EPCG and the local coal mine, with estimates indicating that EPCG will need to spend between 75 and 80 million euros on electricity imports to cover the shortfall.
