Montenegro recorded its highest-ever daily electricity consumption on 12 August, with demand reaching 12,218 MWh despite wildfire-related network interruptions that disconnected thousands of customers for part of the day.
Distribution system operator CEDIS said consumption exceeded the previous record, established exactly a year earlier, by 113 MWh.
The record was reached under difficult operating conditions around Herceg Novi, where wildfires created significant problems for the distribution network.
CEDIS temporarily disconnected two 35 kV transmission connections, including the Herceg Novi-Topla line.
The disruption on the Herceg Novi-Kumbor connection was considerably longer. Around 10,800 customers were affected, with the average interruption lasting 238 minutes.
Efforts to reroute electricity through alternative sections of the network subsequently created additional technical difficulties and further outages.
Despite those interruptions, total energy delivered during the day still exceeded the previous national record, indicating that underlying demand would have been even higher without the supply disruptions.
The result highlights the intensity of Montenegro’s summer electricity-demand profile. Tourism, air-conditioning and high coastal occupancy can push consumption sharply higher during the peak holiday period, creating a seasonal system challenge very different from the traditional winter load profile of some continental Balkan markets.
The record is particularly relevant because Montenegro has historically relied on imported electricity during periods when domestic generation cannot cover demand.
High summer consumption therefore affects not only CEDIS’s distribution network but also EPCG’s generation position and Montenegro’s exposure to regional day-ahead and cross-border electricity prices.
Wildfire risk adds another layer to that exposure. Extreme heat can simultaneously increase electricity demand and threaten transmission and distribution infrastructure, creating conditions in which the system requires more power at the same time as parts of the network become harder to operate.
The 12,218 MWh record demonstrates that this combination is no longer theoretical. Montenegro experienced record consumption while significant local network assets were already under operational stress.
