Lorkowski: Montenegro should make plan for closing TPP Pljevlja by June

Montenegro should align its legislation with the EU and adopt a National Energy and Climate Plan by June, along with a decision on when to shut down the thermal power plant in Pljevlja, said the director of the Energy Community Secretariat, Arthur Lorkowski.

During a visit to Montenegro, Lorkowski held talks with the country’s energy sector leadership. He was interested in the country’s efforts to deploy clean energy and a strategy for phasing out coal. Lorkowski also addressed the Montenegrin parliament’s energy committee.

Lorkowski noted that the Energy Community is not pressuring Montenegro to decide on shutting down thermal power plant (TPP) Pljevlja but is rather reminding it of the obligations it has accepted and signed, daily DAN  reported.

Montenegro will have to align its legislation with the EU and adopt the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) by June, specifying when and how the power plant will be shut down, according to Lorkowski.

According to the daily, MPs asked Lorkowski why Germany can have 19 TPPs, while one Montenegrin TPP is a problem.

Lorkowski said Montenegro has signed multiple agreements in which it commits to working on reducing carbon emissions. No one expects such an important decision to be made ad hoc, but the question is what the plan is, he said.

Lorkowski: No one expects Montenegro to close the TPP tomorrow, because it is not realistic

No one expects Montenegro to close the TPP tomorrow, because it is not realistic, Lorkowski said. The question here is what is the plan, what are the goals, and what are the milestones in this regard, he added. The Energy Community expects Montenegro to make a decision, according to him. The government has accepted the obligation, and now there should be discussions about how to achieve this goal. That is what the NECP is for, he said.

He also pointed out that the reconstruction of TPP Pljevlja must be accelerated, stressing the importance of the development of energy infrastructure.

Lorkowski stated that it is necessary to make an appropriate assessment of the Komarnica hydroelectric power plant. Neither Bosnia and Herzegovina nor Montenegro have yet submitted the findings of their expert groups for the HPP Buk Bijela project. As he pointed out, the Energy Community is ready to help with this.

TPP Pljevlja is not in compliance with the EU’s Directive

The Secretariat recently explained its position on the non-compliance of TPP Pljevlja with the EU’s Large Combustion Plants Directive.

The extended working hours approved by the Energy Community Ministerial Council for TPP Pljevlja expired in 2020. However, the Montenegrin TPP continues to operate despite the opt-out mechanism under the Directive.

During his visit, Lorkowski also met with Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Capital Investments Ervin Ibrahimović.

“The continuous support that Montenegro, on its European path, has as a member of the Energy Community is very important because we are intensively working on harmonizing national legislation with the directives and legislation of the European Union in the field of energy and the environment,” Ibrahimović pointed out.

He added that the ministry is aware of the changes and challenges that the process of the transition to green energy entails.

Ibrahimović stressed the importance of the experience of experts in the Energy Community and EU member states, which started these processes much earlier and have successfully overcome certain challenges.

Lorkowski explained that a working visit to Montenegro and other countries in the region is part of a program to help achieve good results through direct communication. The common goal is to provide sufficient energy in an environmentally friendly way.