September 17, 2025
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Montenegro’s capital Podgorica preparing feasibility study for waste incinerator

Municipal waste utility Deponija has made the first step towards building a waste-to-energy facility.

Deponija, the utility in charge of waste management in Montenegro’s capital, launched a public call for the production of a feasibility study for the construction of a municipal waste incinerator within the territory of the city of Podgorica.

The task should be implemented in line with the requirements of sustainable waste management, circular economy, and the European Union’s environmental standards, the call reads.

There is only one waste incinerator in the Western Balkans

Of note, in the Western Balkans region, there is only one waste-to-energy plant, located in Belgrade. Utilizing waste to generate energy is a legitimate component of waste management hierarchy. Incinerators are present all over Europe. Croatia and Slovenia are planning to build such facilities, though some citizens oppose it.

Deponija also listed several motives for preparing the study. They include modernization of the municipal waste management system in Podgorica, reduction of the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill, and the production of renewable energy from waste.

The enterprise also aims to align its operations with the European Union’s waste management directives and gather data for potential partners and investors to assess the project.

The main goal of the study is to establish a sustainable and economically justified system for thermal treatment of municipal waste that will contribute to solving waste management problems in Podgorica, the call reads.

Deponija requested an analysis of different thermal treatment technologies

Deponija said that the study would include technological options or comparative analysis of various waste thermal treatment technologies such as incineration, refuse-derived waste, gasification and pyrolysis.

A key part of the future document is the environmental impact assessment (EIA), which will identify potential impacts on air, water, and land, mitigation measures, and monitoring.

Mayor of Podgorica Saša Mujović supported last year the idea of building a waste-to-energy plant. At that time, he was the minister of energy.

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June 10, 2025
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Montenegro to bring in international partner for HPP Komarnica project

Montenegro’s state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore plans to include an international partner in the development of the Komarnica hydropower project. The company cited the experiences of Norway, Austria, and France. The plant, with a proposed capacity of 172 MW, is expected to have an annual production of around 213 GWh.

Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) has four hydropower plants in the pipeline: Komarnica, Kruševo, Ćehotina, and Sutorina. The Komarnica and Kruševo projects have made the most progress, but challenges remain. Environmental organizations oppose the Komarnica project, while in September last year, President of EPCG’s Board of Directors Milutin Đukanović noted that the project has been on hold for two years.

Importantly, Kruševo and Ćehotina have been mentioned as investments that could be implemented within a partnership with French state-owned power utility EDF.

EPCG now told Vijesti that it has temporarily withdrawn the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the Komarnica project because the Environmental Protection Agency of Montenegro set a short deadline to revise it.

EPCG  intends to prepare a study on the project’s impact on Durmitor National Park, a UNESCO site

The plan is to include a renowned international partner, in cooperation with the Government of Montenegro, to ensure transparent and professional project implementation, particularly considering the experiences and best practices of countries like Austria, France, and Norway, according to EPCG, which claimed the three countries have successfully aligned environmental standards with energy development.

In addition to supplementing the EIA report, the company plans to conduct a study on HPP Komarnica’s impact on Durmitor National Park, a UNESCO site, in line with the international organization’s methodology. EPCG also intends to prepare the required environmental studies in a way that would match the rules of one of international financial institutions.

EPCG expressed the belief that, due to the differing views on hydropower plant construction, not only in Montenegro but worldwide, the best solution is to implement the projects together with a reputable international partner, and in cooperation with the government. The utility said it would prove its commitment to transparency and adherence to all European Union standards.

If Austria, France, and Norway could achieve compromise, so can Montenegro

EPCG expects to make a decision on the project and continue the process later this year.

The company pointed out that countries such as Austria, France, and Norway succeeded in finding a compromise between environmental protection, development, and necessary investments. Since they did it, EPCG sees no reason why Montenegro could not do the same in cooperation with companies from these countries.

Turning to the benefits of HPPs, EPCG recalled that they ensure the technical reliability and stability of the power system and integration of a significant number of planned solar power plants and wind farms.

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May 9, 2025
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Croatia’s HEP to install first floating PV plant on reservoir of HPP Dubrava

Hrvatska Elektroprivreda is preparing to build its first floating solar power plant, with a capacity of 12 MW. It will be installed on the reservoir of its Dubrava hydropower plant.

State-owned company Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP) has already installed one photovoltaic facility near HPP Dubrava, but it was ground-mounted. The Donja Dubrava PV plant has a capacity of 9.9 MW.

Combining hydro with solar into hybrid power plants is an increasingly popular solution for power companies. HEP is already building a hybrid energy park, the first in the country. It is located near the town of Benkovac.

The floating photovoltaic plant would have a barrier against waves and waste

Back in 2023, the company presented plans to build a floating PV plant as part of HPP Dubrava, on the Drava river. It has a capacity of 79.78 MW, while the average production, which started in 1989, is 350 GWh.

It is located near the town of Prelog, in northern Croatia.

HPP Dubrava is the last on in a cascade three multi-purpose HPPs on the Drava river. In addition to producing electricity, they contribute to water supply, flood and soil erosion protection, irrigation and drainage, and host roads. Now they are set to add solar panels.

HEP has submitted an application to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition for the evaluation of the need for an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for its floating solar project.

The facility will be attached to the lake bottom with 62 anchors

It would be installed on a floating platform consisting of a prefab structure, buoys filled with expanding polystyrene foam, and an anchoring structure, the request reads.

The power plant would also have a barrier against waves and floating waste. The floating platform and the barrier are planned to be attached by steel ropes to the bottom of the lake at 62 spots.

The project comprises 19,812 solar panels with a capacity of 615 W, spanning 8.9 hectares. More details on the project can be found in an environmental protection report issued in October 2024 and updated in March by the Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute.

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April 10, 2025
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Court annuls environmental permits for EPBiH’s hydro projects Janjići, Vranduk

The Cantonal Court in Sarajevo overturned two decisions of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism regarding the proposed Vranduk and Janjići hydropower plants.

The Janjići and Vranduk hydropower projects, with a total capacity of 36 MW, are being developed by state-owned power company Elektroprivreda BiH. The sites are on the Bosna river near the city of Zenica.

The two decisions were challenged by the Aarhus Centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Cantonal Court in Sarajevo has ruled that the 16 MW Janjići project requires a new environmental permit to move forward, news website Zenit.ba reported. Namely, the Aarhus Centre in BiH disputed the ministry’s decision in December 2021 that the existing one was valid. According to the court, the explanation was legally unsubstantiated.

The ministry didn’t take into account the ecological sensitivity of the Janjići area

The ministry also failed to acknowledge the complexity of the planned hydropower facility and that, in line with the regulations, a new permit is necessary if the deadline expires, the ruling reads.

According to the court, the ministry didn’t take into account the ecological sensitivity of the Janjići area. The location is a habitat of protected plant and animal species, among which is the otter.

Of note, in January 2022, Germany’s KfW Development Bank said it canceled the plan to finance the Janjići hydropower project with EUR 30 million. Total investment was valued at EUR 55 million.

The loan agreement between KfW and EPBiH was signed in 2014. Environmental organizations opposed the project, arguing it would flood one of the most beautiful areas around the Bosna river.

The Aarhus Convention was violated in the case of HPP Vranduk

The court also annulled the ministry’s 2023 environmental permit for the HPP Vranduk project of 20 MW.

The ministry violated several provisions of an environmental protection law of the Federation of BiH, the court stressed. By issuing the permit, it violated the right of the public to access information and participate in the decision-making process, thereby also violating the Aarhus Convention.

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) was inadequate while the environmental risks determined earlier and comments from experts weren’t taken into account, the ruling reads.

In early 2022, Austria-based Strabag won at the International Court of Arbitration in Brussels in a case against EPBiH. The panel ordered the power utility to pay EUR 16.4 million to the company.

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