Since the end of 2008, the Ćehotina River has been redirected through a concrete channel and tunnels due to large coal reserves located beneath and along its natural course. Extracting this coal has provided electricity worth billions of euros.
Currently, the river is being redirected back to its original path to open access for coal mining until 2049, a move essential to keep the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant operational. Without this river relocation, the power plant would have had to stop, causing catastrophic consequences for the energy system, explained Nemanja Laković, Executive Director of the Coal Mines.
The project, declared of public interest, is funded by the coal mine’s own resources and a favorable loan. By using its own machinery and workforce, the mine has accelerated the work, completing over 20% so far, with the goal to finish on schedule alongside the thermal plant’s reconstruction.
Environmentalists welcome returning the Ćehotina to its near-natural course, which, together with planned reclamation of 34 hectares this year, is expected to improve the local ecological conditions. The new riverbed will come closer to the city, creating an area suitable for new investments, including a planned tourist complex.
Ecologist Vaso Knežević notes that the environmental state of the river will improve compared to today, though it will not reach the quality it had 50 years ago.
This restoration of the river’s original course is seen as a key guarantee for the stability of Montenegro’s energy system at least until 2041, which is increasingly regarded as the final operational year for the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant.
