The Hydroelectric Power Plants on the Trebišnjica River will resume retroactive payments for land submerged by the Bileća Lake to the municipality of Nikšić, effective from January 1st of this year, marking the resolution of a three-decade-long issue. Additionally, an initiative has been launched to explore the use of Bileća Lake’s waters for supplying water to Nikšić.
These are the concrete outcomes of a meeting today between the Ministers of Energy and Mining of Montenegro and Republika Srpska, Saša Mujović and Petar Đokić. Representatives from both Montenegro Electric Power Company and Republika Srpska Electric Power Company were present.
“The immediate outcome of today’s meeting is the agreement to reinstate compensation payments for submerged land, with the Municipality of Nikšić resuming collection of fees, amounting to approximately 600,000 EUR annually. Retroactive payments will commence from January 1st, 2024, and this arrangement will continue into the future,” stated Minister Mujović after the meeting.
The ministers also discussed the possibility of utilizing Bileća Lake’s waters for supplying water to the municipality of Herceg Novi, with further deliberations scheduled for upcoming meetings.
“Another important discussion point was the potential use of Bileća Lake’s hydro potential for supplying drinking water to Herceg Novi and the Bay of Kotor. This holds significance for Montenegro, and we’ve received widespread support from our counterparts in Republika Srpska to address this issue effectively,” emphasized Mujović.
The meeting in Trebinje underscores Minister Mujović’s proactive approach to resolving the Bileća Lake issue, marking the initial step toward resolving a longstanding bilateral concern. It’s worth noting that compensation for submerged land was previously paid to the Municipality of Nikšić until 1992.
