More than 40 non-governmental organisations, over 230 experts, public advocates and citizens from Bar and other Montenegrin towns have jointly issued a formal appeal urging the Government of Montenegro to immediately halt all activities and negotiations concerning the planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and associated gas-fired power plant in the Port of Bar. Signatories insist that authorities respect the current Spatial Plan of Montenegro, uphold the rule of law, and prioritise public safety and environmental integrity.
The collective response highlights a series of legal, institutional, economic and environmental concerns tied to the proposed gas infrastructure projects. Critics argue that moving forward with an LNG terminal and gas power plant represents a financial and debt risk for the state, undermines Montenegro’s climate commitments, and would compromise the goals of decarbonisation outlined in national and international policy frameworks. They also raise significant safety objections based on seismic and explosion-related hazards at the designated Bar port location, questioning the suitability of existing maritime infrastructure for such high-risk industrial use.
Opposition to the projects is grounded in the public consultation process on the Spatial Plan, during which planners and community voices repeatedly expressed that LNG infrastructure should be excluded. The Spatial Plan adopted by the Montenegrin parliament removed provisions for such developments, a move backed by local government bodies and civil society participants. Despite this, government representatives later entered memorandums of understanding with foreign energy firms, including engagements in international energy forums, raising fears that accepted spatial planning decisions could be reversed or bypassed.
Signatories also challenge claims that the projects would secure strategic energy benefits, noting that Montenegro currently has no domestic gas production or distribution network, and that reliance on imported fossil fuel infrastructure could lock the country into long-term energy dependency and expanded public debt. They point to broader climate and energy transitions, noting that many developed countries are reevaluating new fossil gas infrastructure in favour of renewables, energy efficiency and storage technologies, and warn that LNG facilities can create a “carbon lock-in” that is difficult to unwind before mid-century climate goals.
The appeal calls on the government to formally discard the Bar LNG terminal and gas power plant proposals, ensure future energy project planning is aligned with national climate objectives and legal frameworks, and to increase transparency and civic participation in decisions affecting Montenegro’s strategic energy infrastructure.
