Montenegro’s Perucica hydropower plant has returned to its full 307 MW capacity after state utility EPCG completed the final stage of its annual overhaul.
The plant partially returned to the grid in early September with 190 MW available. EPCG shortened the full shutdown after the Pljevlja thermal power plant went offline and Montenegro’s electricity system required additional domestic generation.
Maintenance continued on the remaining equipment, focusing on the second penstock and repairs to the needle-valve servomotor on generating unit A4.
After the penstock was refilled and successfully tested, units A3, A4 and A5 were cleared for operation, restoring the plant’s entire installed capacity.
Perucica is one of Montenegro’s most important generating assets and plays a central role in covering domestic demand and providing operational flexibility. Its return reduces reliance on imports at a time when regional prices remain volatile and the Pljevlja plant’s availability is critical to the national balance.
Hydropower output will still depend on reservoir and inflow conditions, meaning nominal availability does not automatically translate into maximum generation. Even so, completing the overhaul gives EPCG considerably more room to manage the system.
For Montenegro, the timing matters: every megawatt restored at Perucica reduces exposure to imported electricity when regional spreads turn against the country.
