January 9, 2026
by in News

Montenegro’s TSO CGES to invest EUR 200 million

Montenegrin transmission system operator Crnogorski Elektroprenosni Sistem plans to invest EUR 200 million over the next five years, according to Ranko Redžić, manager of the company’s national dispatching center.

CGES is constantly improving and modernizing the system, as well as training employees, MINA reported.

According to Ranko Redžić, this yields results. One of them is a very low transmission system loss rate, which ranges from 1.6% to 1.7%, in line with the most efficient European systems, he added.

The most significant capital projects the company completed last year include the reconstruction of the Pljevlja 1 substation and the construction of the 150-kilometer Lastva-Pljevlja transmission line, which is expected to become operational soon.

The power line completes a 400 kV ring that will significantly improve the operational security of both the Montenegrin and neighboring transmission systems, Redžić stressed.

The completion of two 110 kV transmission lines in the north – Brezna-Žabljak and Žabljak-Pljevlja – is also planned

The completion of the project also creates conditions for connecting a significant number of renewable energy power plants, he explained.

Among the major projects is the upgrade of Lastva substation, which resolves the problem of excessively high voltages in the Montenegrin system. The issue is evident throughout the region.

The upgraded substation is expected to be put into operation by the end of January.

Redžić estimated that the total value of investments over the next five years will exceed EUR 200 million.

Among the upcoming projects, there is the completion of two 110 kV transmission lines in the north – Brezna-Žabljak and Žabljak-Pljevlja. CGES also intends to install the 400 kV Brezna substation, which would also enable the connection of significant renewable energy capacity.

The 400 kV link with Serbia would complete the Trans-Balkan Corridor

The reconstruction of the 220 kV transmission line from Bosnia and Herzegovina through Montenegro to Albania is also planned, along with the reconstruction of the substation at the Perućica hydropower plant and the replacement of transformers at Pljevlja 2 substation.

The upcoming construction of a 400 kV interconnection with Serbia, completing the Trans-Balkan Corridor, would create the conditions for a second line of the submarine cable between Montenegro and Italy, Redžić underscored.

The onshore transmission line would allow the installation of a number of new substations, enabling the connection of additional consumers and renewable electricity plants to the distribution network.

Redžić stressed that the expected date for coupling the Montenegrin and Italian electricity markets is the beginning of 2028.

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January 8, 2026
by in News

Montenegro’s TSO CGES to invest EUR 200 million

Montenegrin transmission system operator Crnogorski Elektroprenosni Sistem plans to invest EUR 200 million over the next five years, according to Ranko Redžić, manager of the company’s national dispatching center.

CGES is constantly improving and modernizing the system, as well as training employees, MINA reported.

According to Ranko Redžić, this yields results. One of them is a very low transmission system loss rate, which ranges from 1.6% to 1.7%, in line with the most efficient European systems, he added.

The most significant capital projects the company completed last year include the reconstruction of the Pljevlja 1 substation and the construction of the 150-kilometer Lastva-Pljevlja transmission line, which is expected to become operational soon.

The power line completes a 400 kV ring that will significantly improve the operational security of both the Montenegrin and neighboring transmission systems, Redžić stressed.

The completion of two 110 kV transmission lines in the north – Brezna-Žabljak and Žabljak-Pljevlja – is also planned

The completion of the project also creates conditions for connecting a significant number of renewable energy power plants, he explained.

Among the major projects is the upgrade of Lastva substation, which resolves the problem of excessively high voltages in the Montenegrin system. The issue is evident throughout the region.

The upgraded substation is expected to be put into operation by the end of January.

Redžić estimated that the total value of investments over the next five years will exceed EUR 200 million.

Among the upcoming projects, there is the completion of two 110 kV transmission lines in the north – Brezna-Žabljak and Žabljak-Pljevlja. CGES also intends to install the 400 kV Brezna substation, which would also enable the connection of significant renewable energy capacity.

The 400 kV link with Serbia would complete the Trans-Balkan Corridor

The reconstruction of the 220 kV transmission line from Bosnia and Herzegovina through Montenegro to Albania is also planned, along with the reconstruction of the substation at the Perućica hydropower plant and the replacement of transformers at Pljevlja 2 substation.

The upcoming construction of a 400 kV interconnection with Serbia, completing the Trans-Balkan Corridor, would create the conditions for a second line of the submarine cable between Montenegro and Italy, Redžić underscored.

The onshore transmission line would allow the installation of a number of new substations, enabling the connection of additional consumers and renewable electricity plants to the distribution network.

Redžić stressed that the expected date for coupling the Montenegrin and Italian electricity markets is the beginning of 2028.

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June 10, 2025
by in News

Serbia shelves plan for strategic partnership for 1 GW in wind farms

Serbia has revised its Baselines of the Energy Infrastructure Development Plan and Energy Efficiency Measures for the period up to 2028, with projections up to 2030. It defines priority projects in the energy sector.

The Baselines of the Energy Infrastructure Development Plan and Energy Efficiency Measures were adopted in mid-2023 at the proposal of the Ministry of Mining and Energy. In the new document, the construction of 1 GW wind farms is no longer among the priority projects. The plan was to involve with a strategic partner, similar to the project for 1 GW of solar power plants, which is currently being developed by state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) with a strategic partner.

The development plan serves as a basis for the implementation of Serbia’s Energy Development Strategy and the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP).

The ministry outlined projects across six sectors

The investment cycle planned for the upcoming strategic period represents the backbone of the Energy Development Strategy. It provides the foundation for further assessments and projections of the targeted energy mix through 2030 and 2050. It aligns with the international commitments undertaken in the process of European Union accession as well as with the obligations within the Energy Community, the document reads.

The plan includes projects in six sectors: electricity generation, transmission network, distribution network, natural gas, oil and petroleum products, and energy efficiency. It ranks the projects within each sector.

The most significant change in renewable energy is that the construction of wind farms with a combined capacity of 1 GW is no longer on the list of priority projects.

Solar power plants Kolubara and Morava on the priority list

The 1 GW of solar power and the Kostolac wind farm remained among the four most important endeavors, while the new items are the Morava and Kolubara photovoltaic projects. The Klenovnik solar power plant has been removed from the list. According to the document, the projects on the list are the most advanced.

In total, EPS has 41 projects for power generation or 20 less than in the original document.

Fewer projects, but more realistic

The authors explained that the number of renewable energy projects is lower, but more realistic and better optimized. The entire EPS investment portfolio across all areas requires significant funds and loans, so it would not be realistic to pursue a larger number of high-value projects that cannot be financially or physically implemented within a reasonable timeframe, the document underlined.

It was also taken into account that many private projects, mainly wind farms, are being developed through the auction system, so the focus of EPS’s projects is primarily on solar power plants, to create a balanced ratio between wind and solar power plants in the system. The company’s project for the wind farms with a strategic partner remained a backup option, in case an additional capacity is needed, according to the document.

There are new items on the list for the electricity distribution network

There were no changes in the transmission network segment. The priority projects are the third and fourth sections of the Trans-Balkan Corridor, the Pannonian Corridor, and Beogrid 2025. The list contains 66 investments, five fewer than in the original plan.

Changes have been made regarding investments in the power distribution network. The most important projects now are the 110/10 kV substations National Stadium and Surčin. Automation of the medium-voltage network was kept, together with the ongoing replacement of wooden poles with concrete ones and the replacement of electricity meters with smart ones.

The integrated system for remote monitoring, diagnostics, and control of the low-voltage distribution network has been removed from the list. Instead of replacing transformers at 10 kV, 20 kV, 35 kV, and 110 kV voltage levels, the new focus is on the reconstruction of 25 substations of 110/35 kV.

Planning the first district cooling systems

The energy efficiency part of the baselines was changed the most.

The previous document was primarily focused on reviewing and securing financial support for ongoing projects, while the current one is envisaging expanding the scope and considering new financial mechanisms and sectors that require additional support.

Among other initiatives, the Strategic Plan for the Decarbonization Policy of the District Heating and Cooling Sector in the Republic of Serbia is being prepared. It is a joint endeavour of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Association of Serbian Heating Plants, and the Ministry of Mining and Energy.

The project aims to define steps to improve the district heating system, including heat storage, the use of heat pumps, utilization of heat generated from waste treatment, and the development of the first district cooling systems, according to the document.

Special attention will be devoted to developing guidelines for expanding the district heating system by connecting new users while simultaneously shutting down fossil fuel boilers. It will directly contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and pollution, the authors noted.

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April 6, 2025
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Serbia’s TSO EMS inks contract for Obrenovac – Bajina Bašta power line within Trans-Balkan Corridor

Serbia’s transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije signed a contract for the construction of a two-system 400 kV transmission line from the Obrenovac substation to the Bajina Bašta substation.

The power line from the Obrenovac substation to the Bajina Bašta substation is part of the third section of the Trans-Balkan Corridor for the transmission of electricity, a project of national and regional significance, TSO Elektromreža Srbija (EMS) said.

The Trans-Balkan Corridor connects Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Italy.

Apart from the transmission line, the third section comprises equipping two switchyards in the Obrenovac substation and upgrading the Bajina Bašta substation to 400 kV.

The job was awarded to Kodar Energomotaža at an international tender

The transmission line will be 109 kilometers long. The start of construction is planned for April, while the completion is expected in 2027.

The project is financed by EMS, a donation from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), and a loan from Germany’s KfW Development Bank.

The EUR 71 million contract was signed by EMS CEO Jelena Matejić and Mladen Žujković, the representative of Kodar Energomontaža, the contractor. The company was selected after a complex international tender, according to Serbia’s TSO.

The first section of the Trans-Balkan Corridor, from Pančevo to the Romanian border, was completed and put online in December 2017.

The second section was finished in June 2022. It consisted of transmission lines between Kragujevac and Kraljevo and upgrading the substations in the two cities.

Matejić: Serbia is a crucial electricity hub in this part of Europe

The corridor plan also has a fourth section. It envisages a double 400 kV power line between the substations in Bajina Bašta in Serbia, Višegrad in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Pljevlja in Montenegro.

“The Trans-Balkan electricity transmission corridor is certainly one of the most important infrastructure projects to safeguard a stable supply of electricity in our country. It will also enable the integration of the electricity market and position Serbia as a crucial electricity hub in this part of Europe,” Matejić stressed.

The importance of the Trans-Balkan Corridor was demonstrated recently by the commissioning of the second system within the transmission link between Romania and Serbia. It increased the cross-border transmission capacity by 80% – from 500 MW to 900 MW.

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April 3, 2025
by in News

Montenegro’s TSO CGES achieves EUR 25 million profit in 2024

Montenegro’s transmission system operator CGES recorded a profit of EUR 24.8 million last year.

The net income of TSO CGES compares to EUR 35.7 million from 2023. In 2022, the company’s profit amounted to EUR 20.3 million, after EUR 16.9 million in the previous year.

President of the Board of Directors of CGES Aleksandar Mijušković noted in a statement to Mina news agency that the total since his appointment is almost EUR 100 million.

He recalled that the company’s operations are regulated by the Energy and Water Regulatory Agency of Montenegro (REGAGEN), pointing out that the profit is subject to revision, in line with the regulatory mechanism.

Implementation of visionary projects led to income growth

Implementation of crucial infrastructure projects, investments in new technologies, and improvement of work processes were the decisive factors for the success, Mijušković underlined.

In his words, conducting important, visionary projects has led to a significant increase in income from electricity transit. In addition, by applying new technologies and improving work processes, the company achieved a more efficient and reliable system with the lowest grid loss rate so far, despite a much higher transit and flow of energy through the system, Mijušković pointed out.

He added that good business results secure multiple benefits for shareholders and users of the transmission system in Montenegro. CGES’s results have contributed to lowering the transmission tariff paid by citizens and businesses, Mijušković said.

The company plans to continue the investments within its five-year plan, worth EUR 207 million. It envisages significant infrastructure projects.

The Trans-Balkan Corridor will facilitate market coupling with Europe

He singled out the Trans-Balkan Corridor among the largest infrastructure projects. Its completion will significantly increase the capacity for power transit from the Balkans to Italy.

It will enable coupling the Montenegrin electricity market with the Italian one and, with it, the single European electricity market, Mijušković said.

The green transition brought great challenges for the European power system, he stressed. The production of electricity from renewable sources cannot be controlled, so large, uncontrolled electricity flows began appearing in the system, threatening its stability, Mijušković said.

The issues can be effectively solved only by strengthening the internal grid and interconnections with neighbors, which CGES has envisaged in its plans, he asserted.

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