Electricity generation in Montenegro fell short of domestic demand in 2025, as prolonged outages and weaker hydrological conditions constrained overall output, according to the national energy balance report.
Total electricity production reached 3,373 GWh, while gross consumption amounted to 3,410.71 GWh, exceeding projections by more than 5%. At the same time, overall generation came in 17.42% below planned levels, highlighting a notable supply gap throughout most of the year.
A major factor behind the shortfall was the environmental upgrade of the Pljevlja thermal power plant, which remained offline for eight months. Due to this extended shutdown, thermal generation was limited to 525.32 GWh, with the plant achieving 89.34% of its reduced production target.
Renewable sources made up the bulk of electricity production, contributing 1,847 GWh, though performance varied across technologies. Large hydropower plants underperformed due to unfavorable water conditions, with HPP Perućica reaching 75.21% of its plan and HPP Piva achieving 73.81%. In contrast, small hydropower plants exceeded expectations, delivering 106.32% of planned output. Wind farms produced 91.44%, while solar generation outperformed forecasts, reaching 112.52% of planned levels.
Hydrological conditions throughout the year were below the long-term average, significantly reducing hydroelectric output. Compared to previous years, hydropower generation declined by 17.5% from 2024 and 34.1% from 2023, when water availability was particularly strong.
The overall generation structure was heavily influenced by the prolonged outage of Pljevlja, with hydropower accounting for around 60% of total production, thermal for 22%, wind for 13%, and solar increasing its share to 4%.
Domestic production was sufficient to meet consumption only during the first quarter, when both hydrological conditions and thermal generation were favorable. For the remainder of the year—especially between May and October—the system faced a persistent seasonal deficit.
System losses also exceeded expectations, totaling 460.06 GWh, which is about 2.7% above planned levels, though still 2.45% lower than in 2024. Transmission losses amounted to 131.47 GWh, performing better than expected and below the previous year’s level. However, distribution losses rose to 328.60 GWh, nearly 10% above plan, remaining broadly in line with 2024 figures.
