Renewable Energy in Montenegro Park Krnovo in Niksic

In the past three decades, research and development in green renewable energy has exploded, yielding hundreds of promising new technologies that can reduce our dependence on coal, oil, and natural gas.

Montenegro has decided to join in on this growing trend of using more renewable energy for the country’s needs and better future.
Montenegro has the potential to develop hydro and thermal power plants, given the abundance of rivers and streams, as well as the potential for some new types of production such as solar and wind energy. The country only uses around 20 percent of its hydro potential and consumes more energy than it produces. There are ample opportunities to develop new energy sources. To fully develop this sector, Montenegro will need a developed transmission and distribution network.

A big leap in the renewable energy sector in Montenegro is the wind power plant located in Krnovo, Nikšić.
The Krnovo project is the first wind farm to be developed in Montenegro and is one of the most powerful in this part of Central Europe. It is an exemplary project in terms of its contribution to the regional economy and the application of best practice. Krnovo has been developed and built to the highest social and environmental standards set out by the World Bank.

The Krnovo wind power plant consists of 26 wind turbines, two transmission lines, two substations, and maintenance buildings. Planned annual production is between 200 to 230 gigawatt hours (GWh). The wind turbines are set at an altitude of about 1,500 meters, where, as estimated, the average wind speed varies between about 5.5 and 6.5 meters per second. Its generator is located at a height of 85 meters and weighs 83.5 tones.

The contract for this energy project was signed by the Government of Montenegro and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Its implementation should contribute to achieving Montenegrin renewable energy goals which entail that 33% of total energy consumption will have been produced from renewable energy sources by 2020.

The project is implemented by the Austrian company “Ivicom Consulting” and the French company “Akuo Energy“, which registered the joint company “Krnovo Green Energy”. Along with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the project was financed by the German development bank (KfW) and the French investment company for the promotion of economic cooperation “Proparco”
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Although the site is not near protected areas or on a migratory flyway, monitoring of impacts on birds and bats will continue into the operating period to verify conclusions of no significant impact, with additional mitigation to be required if needed.

This is the first capital investment in the energy sector in Montenegro since 1980, and the project is expected to contribute to reducing carbon-dioxide emissions.

Source: bankar.me, balkangreenegergynews.com, akuoenergy.com, ebrd.com