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The energy crisis we are witnessing has shown that we must start building new large energy facilities as soon as possible, Prime Minister Dritan Abazović said at yesterday’s session. As he stated, he sees huge potential for Montenegro in that area, especially when it comes to the production of electricity from renewable sources.
– What we can do promptly, which I expect to happen soon, is to sign the contract for the Gvozd wind power plant. We need to issue permits faster, to start operating solar power plants in Montenegro. In the same way, people should be encouraged to install solar panels on their homes – said Abazović, adding that he welcomed the decree of the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism, which eased the procedures related to the installation of solar panels.
As he said, a decision must be made as soon as possible regarding the wind farm on Brajići.
– I understand some citizens of the municipality of Budva who have their own interest and are against the construction of a wind farm in Budva. But I can’t understand that they don’t allow the construction of a facility that will benefit tens of thousands of Montenegrin citizens in the next 30 to 40 years – he stated.
He pointed to the examples of Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, where they have wind farms in the city itself.
– This is the energy we get from the wind, which is completely environmentally acceptable and we must not miss such opportunities. We do not need energy facilities such as small hydroelectric plants, from which only the owners make a profit, and where the damage to nature is immeasurable. But solar panels, wind farms, gas plants… I don’t see why that would be a problem. Our ambition should not be to satisfy our needs, but to be exporters of electricity – he said.
When it comes to other derivatives, such as oil and probably gas, we will probably remain import categories for Montenegro, he said.
– That is why it should be compensated with electricity, and the most important thing is the construction of new energy facilities. For this reason, I believe that we should affirm the topic of energy, because I see a great potential and chance for Montenegro there – said Abazović.
State Secretary in the Ministry of Capital Investments, Petar Odžić, said that in that department, through the national plan for energy and climate actions, they are working on creating a systemic approach that will show them in what ways energy plans must be diversified, in relation to the technologies that will be used.
– And in such a way that they are complementary and complement each other – when there is sun, we produce electricity from solar, when there is no, we use hydropower and the like. We also initiated certain activities in the part of creating incentive measures in the part of the legal basis, in such a way that investors are freed from some utilities in case they resort to energy efficiency principles. We will also initiate exemption from VAT on the import of solar panels, so that we can contribute in that way – he said.
According to him, certain activities related to the construction of gas pipelines in Montenegro have also been initiated.
– We are in contact with colleagues from the region. Through the funds of the European Union, we also plan to prepare a justification study for offshore wind farms at sea, where we see great potential – stated Odžić.
The Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism Ana Novaković Đurović said that the simplification of the legal procedure for the construction of facilities for the production of electricity from renewable energy sources has already yielded results in practice.
– Investor interest is really high, the percentage of installation of solar panels is increasing, and we received four new requests for the construction of solar power plants, as well as one for the wind park in Pljevlja. It is important that we now have legal procedures in this area and the possibility to bring this story to an end. I appeal to all institutions that are part of this request processing process to provide us with their opinions promptly. It would be good if next year we have a certain construction of a larger facility, especially a solar power plant – said the minister.
She also referred to the construction of the Brajići wind farm.
– Apart from the problem that exists in the local community, there is also the problem of the key, but also this multi-sector approach that I have already pointed out. It is necessary for all institutions to submit opinions and explanations more up-to-date and with more arguments. This idea and the story about VE Brajići has been going on for too long and a decision must finally be made – she stated.
She also said that changes to the Law on Spatial Planning and Building Construction are underway.
– We will certainly go in the direction of encouraging construction and simplifying procedures when it comes to these facilities for the production of electricity from renewable sources, but I must mention, because we often hear that energy must be a priority – I completely agree, but we must always lead style and space – concluded Novaković Đurović, local media writes.
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