The Hydrocarbons Directorate of Montenegro has issued a public call for bids to store part of the country’s mandatory fuel reserves, in line with the Law on Security of Supply of Petroleum Products. The deadline for submissions is 27 October 2025, 13:00.
The storage involves leasing facilities for eurodiesel MEST EN 590, with a volume between 15,000 and 20,000 cubic meters, on a “full-for-empty” basis. Bidders must offer storage capacity for the entire required quantity. The storage provider will also manage operational aspects, including maintaining product quality and quantity and insuring against standard risks. Manipulation or evaporative losses are not permitted.
Facilities must have public customs warehouse status and comply with licensing requirements under the Customs Law. Storage sites must hold a valid occupancy permit, infrastructure for loading and unloading via at least two transport modes, SCADA monitoring systems, and safety systems covering fire, explosion, and environmental protection. Fuel dispatch must be possible within 24 hours of request. Contracts are for three years.
Bidders must submit a bank guarantee of €20,000 to secure their offer, valid for at least 180 days. The selected bidder must provide an additional performance guarantee of 10% of the contract value within ten days of signing. Decisions on the winning bid will be made within seven days after the submission deadline.
Separately, the Ministry of Energy and Mining has issued a third tender for the adaptation and modernization of fuel storage tanks at the Bar terminal, owned by Montenegrobonus, valued at €2.12 million. Previous tenders failed due to low bids and non-compliant guarantees.
Under the Law on Security of Supply, a three-cent fee for the formation of fuel reserves is incorporated into fuel prices. Between 11 February and 16 September 2025, Montenegro collected €8.45 million from this fee and expects total revenue of around €11 million by year-end. The law requires the Directorate and major fuel importers to maintain the mandatory reserves, with the Directorate responsible for half of the total.
