DISTRICT HEATING OF PLJEVALJA – TOWARDS CLEAN AND WARM PLJEVLJA

Elektroprivreda Crne Gore is initiating implementation of the project 'District Heating of Pljevlja - towards Clean and Warm Pljevlja'. Initiation of this project has been planned for already 40 years and EPCG Board of Directors, at its last session, passed the decision on implementation of this investment. The project implies construction of primary heating pipeline from thermal power plant Pljevlja, which will represent heat source upon completion of ecological retrofitting, to the town, thus enabling for the existing infrastructure to be connected to the heat source and its further spreading throughout the town in the second and third phase.

Chief Executive Officer of EPCG, Mr. Nikola Rovčanin said that the investment effects do not need to be particularly emphasised.

It has been for decades waiting to enable healthy environment, whereby Pljevlja will be finally provided with the conditions for healthy environment by closing the numerous boiler rooms in the downtown and numerous individual furnaces. I am convinced that more than 50% of problems will be solved in the very first phase by connection to the existing heat infrastructure exactly at those levels which are the lowest in the valley, Mr. Rovčanin said.

The second effect is very important not only for Pljevlja and EPCG but also for the State of Montenegro in terms of closing the Chapter 27 – environment and pre-accession negotiations with EU related to the environmental protection.

The third effect is very important for the public communal enterprise which will probably be the supplier of heat energy and realize the financial effects. Also, the price of heat energy will be lower for all the citizens of the Municipality of Pljevlja, Mr. Rovčanin pointed out.

Time schedule for implementation of this project has been speeded up and setting up of the committee is currently in progress which will consist of the representatives of EPCG, Municipality of Pljevlja and Public Works Administration. The works are planned to commence at the beginning of next year and implementation is envisaged within several months following the commencement.

Director of TPP Pljevlja, Mr. Dobrilo Garčević explained that a part of steam will be withdrawn from the installation and directed towards the town via main line.

The main line is 4,5 - 4,7 kilometers long. The capacity withdrawn from the in-depth installation amounts to the calorific value of 40MW. Beside the ecological effect which is extremely significant for the town, the project key effects are also economic, i.e. energy ones because a part of primary energy will be saved for the heat demands and coal components used for those purposes will be saved, thus the overall efficiency of the plant as an energy facility will be improved – Mr. Garčevicć said.

We would like to remind that ecological retrofitting of TPP Pljevlja is to commence soon, the project of which amounts to 54 million euros. Also, a part of the project regarding phase reclamation of Maljevac landfill, whose value amounts to 20 million euros, is coming to an end, while relocation of Paleški potok will finally lead to clean Ćehotina River. All of the mentioned projects will enable cleaner, healthier and warmer Pljevlja for its citizens.