Montenegro’s Hydrocarbons Administration has launched a second tender valued at approximately €11 million for the procurement of 19.6 million liters of Eurodiesel, which will be stored at the Port of Bar’s oil terminal. This renewed tender follows the cancellation of an earlier attempt in January when the sole bid from Jugopetrol was not compliant. The new tender is open until March 13, 2026, and is being expedited to meet European Union mandates for compulsory fuel reserves, a key aspect of fulfilling EU accession Chapter 15 on energy.
The tender documentation specifies a strict requirement that the Eurodiesel must not originate from Russian crude oil or be supplied by entities facing sanctions from Montenegro, the UN, the EU, the US, or the UK. Bidders must submit various documents, including Safety Data Sheets and certificates of quantity and quality from the loading port, to demonstrate compliance with these origin stipulations.
The deadline for delivery of the fuel has been adjusted from April to June 2026. Scoring incentives are linked to delivery timing within June; suppliers who can deliver in the first ten days will receive the highest scores, with diminishing points for later dates up to June 30.
Due to the current inadequacy of Montenegro’s state-owned storage facilities at Montenegro Bonus for reserve storage, the diesel will initially be stored in Jugopetrol’s facilities, operated by the Greek Hellenic Group, under a contract established in December. This agreement includes a termination clause if reserves are not delivered as stipulated.
This tender process aligns with Montenegro’s ongoing legal reforms following the adoption of the Law on Security of Supply of Petroleum Products in December 2024. This law requires mandatory oil reserves and is crucial for meeting EU accession requirements. Private companies such as Jugopetrol, Ina Crna Gora, and Petrol Crna Gora have already fulfilled their required reserve volumes, while state procurement continues.
The insistence on non-Russian fuel sources occurs amid evolving global energy supply dynamics and geopolitical factors; concurrently, Russia has enacted a temporary ban on fuel exports through July 2026, complicating efforts to secure non-Russian diesel on international markets.
