Montenegro’s state power utility EPCG has returned 190 MW of capacity at the Perućica hydropower plant to operation after completing the main phase of its annual maintenance programme.
Units A1, A2, A6 and A7 are operating, while the remaining three units are expected to return around mid-September.
Repairs are continuing on the needle-valve servomotor of unit A4, delaying refilling of the second penstock and the restart of units A3, A4 and A5.
The annual overhaul had initially been planned around a full shutdown during August. The plant was drained at the end of July, but EPCG later changed the schedule after the Pljevlja thermal power plant went offline and national electricity supply conditions tightened.
Perucica was temporarily restarted before all maintenance work was completed, limiting its full shutdown to just over two weeks during the second half of August.
The plant had generated 610,800 MWh before the maintenance period. Strong output during the first quarter has kept cumulative generation above plan despite the summer overhaul.
Reservoirs supplying Perucica are around 40% full. EPCG aims to return all seven units to operation by mid-September, restoring one of Montenegro’s main sources of flexible domestic generation.
