The Electric Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG) expects construction works to be completed by the end of November, which are a prerequisite for the start of any other works on the environmental reconstruction project of the Thermal Power Plant (TE) in Pljevlja.
The Executive Director of EPCG Nikola Rovčanin told Vijesti that the works on the environmental reconstruction of the TPP are going according to plan, although the global crisis affects the implementation of all projects, even much smaller ones, to a certain extent.
“Considering the foreign partner from China as the main contractor, there is a problem in the transport of goods and people to and from Montenegro. All of this brings a certain amount of concern, but for now the works and deliveries are proceeding without delays and we have no announcements from the contractor about possible delays”, said Rovčanin.
Work on the ecological reconstruction of the thermal power plant began on April 27 and is planned to be completed by October 15, 2024, when, if everything goes according to plan, all plants will be put into trial operation. The environmental reconstruction of the TE is being done by a consortium consisting of the Chinese company DEC International, Bemax, BB solar and Permonte.
The value of the works is around 60 million euros without value added tax (VAT), of which 45 million euros is the basic contract, while 15 million euros refers to the adaptation of the boiler.
“Construction works are underway, which are a prerequisite for the start of any other type of work. The majority of these works have been completed and we expect them to be completely finished when the construction season in Pljevlja is over, November at the latest,” said Rovčanin.
He also claims that during the next year there will be no stoppage in the operation of the thermal power plant due to ecological reconstruction.
The environmental reconstruction project consists of eight segments, and work is currently being carried out on six desulphurization plants, wastewater treatment, a starter boiler house, a cooling tower, a plant for transporting ash to slag and a noise attenuator.
“Works on the denox plant will be carried out at the end of the environmental reconstruction. The plan is for these works to begin at the end of next year or at the beginning of 2024. The delivery of certain elements of the equipment is expected already in the first half of next year”, said Rovčanin.
The opening of the tender for the selection of the most favorable bidder for the Pljevlja heating project, which is one of the segments of ecological reconstruction, was supposed to be on September 9, but the deadlines had to be moved due to a cyber attack, because the website of the Public Procurement Authority was not working.
“In this month, the selection of the most favorable bidder and the conclusion of the contract for the execution of the first phase in the value of 2.5 million euros are expected. In the capital budget, the Administration for Public Works rounded up the financing of the second and third phases of the main heat pipe, so the complete work will be over ten million euros”, said Rovčanin.
Almost half of the money that will be spent on the environmental reconstruction of the TPP will be related to the construction of flue gas desulphurization plants. Currently, emissions of sulfur oxides from the thermal power plant are six thousand milligrams per cubic meter, and according to European directives, the permitted emissions are up to 130 milligrams per cubic meter. Carbon dioxide emissions are not treated with ecological reconstruction, and EPCG pays CO2 emissions according to the Government’s decree 24 euros per ton to the Eco Fund, from which ecological projects are financed, Biznis writes.
