In Montenegro, during the current global energy crisis, the price of electricity did not increase, which makes the country one of the few in Europe that did not resort to shifting the burden of the crisis onto households and the economy, announced Prime Minister Dritan Abazović.
He met today in Nikšić, at the headquarters of Elektoprivreda (EPCG), with the President of the Board of Directors, Milutin Đukanović, the Executive Director, Nikola Rovčanin and other members of the Board of Directors and Management, where he emphasized the importance that EPCG has for the overall development of Montenegro.
Abazović said that the Government is ready to support all projects in the field of energy, because electricity is a product that is in high demand and has its own future.
– In Montenegro, during the current global energy crisis, the price of electricity did not increase, which makes us one of the few European countries that did not resort to shifting the burden of the crisis onto households and the economy. We all think of the citizens together and we are here for them – Abazović said.
He congratulated the management of EPCG on the respectable results achieved in extremely difficult global circumstances when the energy crisis is in the focus of the world public. He stated that the Government’s strategy for the energy sector is aimed at achieving short-term stability, but also at launching new projects, diversifying the energy system and building new small and large facilities.
Đukanović emphasized the fact that the company protected citizens and the economy by selling electricity at a price of EUR 50 per megawatt hour (MWh), even in periods when the purchase price on the stock exchange exceeded EUR 800/MWh, which meant that citizens only for the first nine months, saved EUR 650 million.
– Traditionally, we are focused on imports in the second and third quarters, since the structure of our production facilities is such that, after 40 years since the construction of the last plant, we still depend on hydrology, and we are in deficit during the months with the highest number of sunshine hours – he said. is Djukanovic.
He stated that such a thing is inadmissible, so by launching the Solari 3000+ and 500+ project, which, according to the principle of “produce where you consume”, valorize the solar potential – they announced a major investment cycle, which their company and the entire energy sector need to make it a pillar of economic development.
– In this sense, we are glad that there is an understanding between the Government and EPCG, and we expect that the procedures for obtaining permits will be much simpler in the future, because the dynamics of implementing the energy transition also depend on it – said Đukanović.
Rovčanin presented the results of work in the past period, emphasizing record results and development projects.
– We are proud of the fact that last year we achieved several records: the highest net profit, record results in the field of production, the highest level of collection, and all this in the midst of the energy crisis, which the citizens did not even feel, because they preserved the discount policy for regular payers. and socially sensitive categories – said Rovčanin.
He stated that, in connection with this, in Pljevlja, for example, they launched projects of ecological reconstruction of the thermal power plant and heating of the city, and a special discount was established for households during the heating season.
At the meeting, Chief Financial Officer Miro Vračar and Executive Managers of FC Proizvodnja Bojan Đordan and Directorate for Development and Investments Ivan Mrvaljević presented an overview of the energy and financial situation in the country, i.e. EPCG investment projects, and Solari 3000+ and 500+ project manager Željko Pekić met the prime minister with achieved results on that front.
He stated that, in addition to the already installed five MW in over 800 facilities, the fact that many fitters have received adequate training and work experience is particularly significant, which represents a great benefit both for our company and for the economy as a whole.
The general conclusion is that EPCG bears the main burden of the energy crisis and that, faced with the fact that it depends too much on hydrological conditions, it must direct its future projects, with the implied support of the state in terms of simplifying administrative procedures, in such a way that, acting in accordance with the commitment to invest in renewable sources of energy, as much as possible to use the potential that our country has, local media writes.
