Dutch investors could reclaim Nikšić landfill, build methane power plant

The Mislov do landfill near Nikšić, which has been a source of environmental pollution for nearly two decades, could soon be reclaimed, with methane from the waste to be used for power generation. The project to restore the landfill and build a power plant would be carried out by a group of investors from the Netherlands.

The landfill, which spans some two hectares, would be covered with a special impermeable material, trisoplast, which would cut emissions from the waste and its environmental impact to zero. After that, the investor would install methane extraction equipment and a power plant.

Emissions from the landfill would be eliminated, and methane extraction would last about 15 years

Bratislav Živadinović of Belgrade-based firm Fliping, which represents the Dutch consortium in the Balkans, said the extraction of methane from the landfill and its use for power generation could last about 15 years.

He said the Dutch investors would use a technology that meets the highest environmental standards and which is widely used in Europe and around the world, adding that the capping of the landfill would take about 30 days once works are launched. He also said that similar landfills in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany have been turned into golf courses, children’s playgrounds, or parks.

Đorđije Manojlović, acting spatial planning and environmental protection secretary of the Municipality of Nikšić, said in December that the investor could pour some EUR 15 million into the project.

650,000 tons of waste dumped on “temporary” landfill since 2003

The disposal of waste at the Mislov do landfill began in 2003, and the plan was for the site to be a temporary solution for a period of five years. Since then, however, the landfill has received 650,000 tons of waste, and not only from Nikšić, but also from other municipalities, according to a report by the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) and BIRN.

According to Montenegrin media, experts have been warning for years of the environmental threat posed by the landfill, which they believe has never been in compliance with the prescribed standards.

In 2020 the landfill was on fire for 45 days on end

In 2020 the landfill was on fire for 45 days in a row, and the situation was similar in 2021. Besides the fires, which cause air pollution, there are concerns that seepage from the landfill could contaminate nearby watercourses.

Nikšić could get a new temporary landfill in the vicinity of the existing one

Nikšić Mayor Marko Kovačević said that a new temporary landfill could be opened in the vicinity of the existing one when it is closed, but that the new site would meet the required standards. However, according to him, this might not be necessary if the planned regional recycling center for eight Montenegrin municipalities gets an investor who would collect and process 100% of the city’s waste.