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Montenegro’s state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) did not receive any bids in its second tender for battery energy storage, Vijesti reported. The call, launched in December, was for a battery energy storage system (BESS) with just 100 kW to 130 kW of operating power and between 200 kWh and 260 kWh of capacity, while the previous, failed tender sought a total of 60 MW of power and 240 MWh of capacity.
The second tender for battery energy storage was worth just EUR 75,000, while the procurement in the first tender was valued at EUR 58.8 million.
In the first bidding, launched in August and scrapped in October 2025, EPCG planned to install two battery systems, each with 30 MW of operating power and 120 MWh of capacity. It was cancelled before the bid submission deadline because EPCG had not obtained approval from the Government of Montenegro to take out a loan to finance the procurement.
The first tender, worth EUR 58.8 million, was cancelled because EPCG failed to obtain approval for a loan
Vijesti reported at the time that EPCG had been told to postpone the project until thermal power plant Pljevlja, whose production was on hold due to an environmental overhaul, was back online.
According to earlier reports, potential locations for the large battery systems included hydropower plant Perućica, EPCG’s steel mill Željezara Nikšić, and the Pljevlja thermal power plant.
The new tender was for a pilot project, but EPCG has officially confirmed to Vijesti that it received no bids by the set deadline. A location for the facility was to be secured by the winning bidder.
The need for battery storage arose from a prosumer boom
The need for battery storage arose from a rapid increase in prosumer solar power plants in recent years, thanks to EPCG’s projects Solari 3000+, 500+, and 5000+.
EPCG previously said that battery systems would create better conditions for a stable electricity supply, more efficient grid management, and faster integration of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
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