Grid connection milestone for Montenegro’s Velestovo
Montenegro’s planned Velestovo solar and battery project has reached a development milestone following a network connection agreement signed by Nu Energy with transmission system operator CGES. The agreement follows the signing of a connection document between CGES CEO Ivan Asanović and Nu Energy CEO Erkut Alkaya, which sets out one of the main technical prerequisites for further development.
The project is being pursued through Nu Energy subsidiary SE Velestovo, with the development near Cetinje estimated at approximately €50 million. Environmental documentation places the planned solar capacity at 60 MW, with battery storage included in the project design.
Planned electrical infrastructure and site layout
The Velestovo site is positioned close to Montenegro’s high-voltage transmission infrastructure near the intersection of the 400 kV Pljevlja–Lastva Grbaljska and Podgorica–Bosnia and Herzegovina routes. The developer plans to build a 110 kV substation within the solar complex. That substation would connect to a new 110/400 kV facility linked to the CGES grid.
Velestovo would deploy approximately 89,552 monocrystalline modules across about 65 hectares, according to the environmental documentation. The project’s proximity to existing transmission routes is cited as a factor related to grid access.
Regional storage plans and next permitting steps
Nu Energy has previously outlined a regional renewable portfolio of approximately 500 MW and intends increasingly to combine photovoltaic generation with battery storage. In February 2025, the company signed a memorandum with Chinese battery manufacturer Cospowers Technology covering potential storage cooperation across Western Balkan solar projects.
Velestovo still needs to complete the environmental assessment process, and no construction start date or commercial-operation date has been announced.
