EPCG signs agreement on TPP Pljevlja environmental overhaul

Montenegrin state power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) has signed an agreement worth over EUR 54 million on an environmental overhaul of its coal-fired thermal power plant (TPP) Pljevlja, a project that will extend the plant’s lifespan by 30 years and greatly reduce its impact on the environment.

The agreement on the environmental overhaul was signed with the DEC International-Bemax-BB Solar-Permonte consortium, which was selected as contractor for the job in late 2019. The consortium is led by China’s Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC), whose projects cover more than 80 countries worldwide, according to a statement from EPCG.

The project will minimize the power plant’s environmental impact

“The crucial thing is that the completion of the project will reduce the thermal power plant’s environmental impact to a minimum, in line with the strictest EU ecological standards,” said Igor Noveljić, executive director of EPCG.

The project, which is planned to last from 2020 to 2023, will mostly be financed by EPCG from its own funds, according to Noveljić. The overhaul will be carried out fully in accordance with the preliminary design and the environmental impact study prepared by Germany’s Steag Energy Services.

The works will include building a flue-gas desulfurization system and a denitrification system and developing a wastewater treatment system, while the project will also provide a source of heat for the city of Pljevlja. Extending the power plant’s lifespan will bring job security for some 1,200 people currently employed at TPP Pljevlja and its coal mine, according to Noveljić.

The overhaul should ensure compliance with EU rules on particulate matter emissions

The signature of the agreement was attended by Montenegrin Economy Minister Dragica Sekulić, who said that the project is supposed to result in the power plant’s full compliance with European regulations on particulate matter emissions. Dongfang Electric’s Ji Hongchun, the project’s director, said he believes that the reconstruction will ensure cleaner air and water for residents of Pljevlja.

According to earlier reports, the project will ensure TPP Pljevlja’s compliance with the requirements and adherence to the strictest environmental protection parameters as envisaged under the EU Decision 2017/1442.