The second block of the Pljevlja thermal energy plant was not included on this year’s priority projects list by the government, while the Economy Ministry states the valorisation of Pljevlja energy resources remains a government priority.
“The unique national list of priority infrastructure projects is compiled based on the Selection and Prioritisation of Infrastructure Projects Methodology. The Methodology was adopted in 2015 by the National Investment Commission, in line with criteria prescribed by the European Union in terms of realization and financing of important infrastructure projects,” said the Ministry to the inquiry by Vijesti on why the second block, presented in all strategic documents as a priority project, was not on the unique list and whether that means the government has given up no it or postponed it.
The Ministry, headed by Dragica Sekulić, stated: “According to the Methodology, one of the steps in project candidature is the rating analysis of the project condition, within which the technical and institutional readiness is graded, together with financial/economic maturity and social/ecological maturity of projects.”
The goal of the Methodology and the unique national list, as they stated, is to meet national and EU standards and enable access to financial source – EU funds and other financial development institutions.
“Considering the second block in Pljevlja is not planned to be financed from EU funds, this project did not enter the national list. Certainly, valorisation is Pljevlja energy resources remains a government priority,” the Ministry said.
The shortlist of key priority infrastructure projects by the government are 36 projects with a total value of 2,13 billion euro from the energy, transportation, environmental protection, social activities and other infrastructure sectors.
Among the energy sector projects are the use of hydro potential and water management of the Drina, Piva, Tara, Ćehotina, Lim, Ibar and Morača basins, with hydroelectric plants on Morača and Komarnica, the Montenegro section of the interconnection Italy-Montenegro-Serbia/Bosnia-Herzegovina; the Aegean-Adriatic gas pipeline; ecological reconstruction of TE Pljevlja; advancement of energy efficiency in public buildings and the project of advancement of energy supply for tourism regions.
Sekulić stated at the end of March the second block of TE Pljevlja will be constructed and the alternative solution for the project would mean a slightly different financial construction than the planned one.
Representatives of the Montenegro Electric Energy Company and German company Steag Energy Services signed at the end of March a contract for the creation of a design project of the ecological reconstruction of the existing block, worth around 664 thousand euro.
The government broke off a contract with the Czech company Škoda Praha near the end of last year, which was the current partner in the construction of the second block, while a new solution for this project was due to be proposed by the end of January.
Škoda was in charge of procuring financing for the project worth 338 million euro, but the Czech Export Bank gave up on the loan as they did not receive Montenegro state guarantees.
Translated from Vijesti, for the original click here.
