Pellet and briquettes for cleaner air in Pljevlja

The Government of Montenegro set EUR 500,000 for environmental action in the northern industrial town of Pljevlja, CdM portal said, adding the municipal authority agreed to buy briquettes and pellet for heating, as mayor Mirko Đačić had announced before.

Offers were accepted from Neckom from Nikšić for EUR 164.22 per tonne of pellet and from Lovćen Trade from Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina for 168.45 per tonne of briquettes in a negotiation-based procurement process, value-added tax included. The biomass is on sale to the population with subsidies of 50%, aimed to motivate the people to switch to cleaner fuel.

A week earlier, Đačić told CdM the next step will be the relocation of the heating station in Skerlićeva street. “Our idea is to build a 15-20 MW mini heating plant in the industrial zone to replace the aforementioned heating station and several others. Long-term measures include, in the first place, the comprehensive heating system,” Đačić said. He advised his fellow citizens to take advantage of every free moment to enjoy the sun, outside the town. Emir Pilav from Pljevlja has told CdM that the situation in the town is really bad and that citizens of Pljevlja, in addition to the Chinese, are the only people who can see what they breathe.

According to data obtained from NGOs, the air pollution in Pljevlja in early December was more than 11 times or 1,100% above the maximum allowed level of PM10 particles concentration.

The government said experimental measuring and pilot tests showed pellet and briquettes can help reduce air pollution by 50% compared to coal use.