EPCG ATTENDED THE ROUNDTABLE 'IMPLICATIONS OF EU POLICIES AND ENERGY MARKET CHALLENGES ON ELECTRIC-POWER SYSTEM OF MONTENEGRO'

Diana Milev Čavor was hosting the event while the welcome note on behalf of the State institutions was held by Mr Marko Perunović, the State Secretary in the Ministry of capital investments and Dušan Bugarin, Director General in the Directorate for ecology in the Ministry of ecology, spatial planning and urbanism. Mr. Nikola Rovčanin, the Chief Executive Officer, addressed the attendees on behalf of Elektroprivreda Crne Gore and reminded of development projects – eco-retrofitting of TPP Pljevlja and district heating of the town under Golubinja in particular.

The event has been aimed at comprehending the implications that EU climate and energy policies have had on the electric-power sector of Montenegro. Accordingly, the discussion spread over several topics encompassing: EU requirements regarding electric-power sector decarbonisation and CO2 tax collection in the Energy Community countries (Milka Mumović, the Energy community), national CO2 collection system as an efficient low-carbon mechanism of development of Montenegro (Jelena Ban, Ministry of ecology, spatial planning and urbanism), challenges the Western Balkans faces in accession to EU ETS ( CO2 trading system) and introduction of cross-border tax on CO2, impacts of this process on electricity generated in thermal power plants (Mirza Kušljugić, RESET), while the Manager of the Directorate for development and investments in EPCG, Mr. Ivan Mrvaljević, informed the attendees about development plans of our company within the context of both the actual energy crisis and EU climate and energy policies focusing on further TPP Pljevlja operation.    

This roundtable was a perfect occasion to exchange development perspectives on energy transition, enhance mutual understanding of participants as well as specific steps in this process. 

Given the numerous uncertainties and ambiguities we are facing with such a radical transformation, the collocutors agreed on necessity to start, as soon as possible, a public discussion on energy transition process among professionals as well in general public.