Montenegrin Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism Ratko Mitrovic said that the European Union will ultimately decide on the future operation of the country’s sole coal-fired thermal power plant Pljevlja.
Minister Mitrovic explained that Montenegro will not be ordered to shut down TPP Pljevlja, but it will be forced to do so due to uncompetitive prices through the introduction of CO2 taxation for non- EU member states.
In late 2021, Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic said that TPP Pljevlja will most likely have to stop working in 2030 under the pressure of the European Energy Community and due to the rules of the European Union.
Last April, the Energy Community Secretariat sent an Opening Letter to Montenegro to address its breach of the Large Combustion Plants Directive. In particular, the country’s sole thermal power plant Pljevlja, continues to operate despite the expiry of the limited lifetime derogation period of the plant.
Following a written declaration not to operate a plant for more than 20,000 hours after 1 January 2018, the limited lifetime derogation (also known as opt-out) was granted to selected installations by the Energy Community Ministerial Council. It is an implementation alternative to complying with the maximum emission limits set by the Large Combustion Plants Directive. Following the expiry of the 20,000 hours, the plants can only remain in operation if they meet the (stricter) standards of the Industrial Emissions Directive. This is not the case for TPP Pljevlja.
