The Krnovo Plateau is quiet at first. Just the low thrum of wind, slicing through the sparse grasslands, and the distant click of surveyor tools. But beneath this stillness, a shift is underway.
Montenegro’s transition to clean energy isn’t happening in theory. It’s unfolding here, in the mountains above Nikšić—one road at a time, one turbine foundation at a time. It’s a story of deliberate engineering, hard choices, and a state utility—Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG)—redefining its role in a country where energy security, affordability, and sustainability must co-exist.
A Wind Farm with Broader Intentions
At nearly 1,500 metres above sea level, the Gvozd Wind Farm is EPCG’s flagship renewable project—54.6 MW of installed capacity, financed with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Once operational, it’s expected to generate over 150 GWh annually—enough to power tens of thousands of homes.
But Gvozd isn’t just about output. It’s a statement about intent.
“We’ve known for a long time that hydropower alone won’t be enough,” says Ivan Bulatović, EPCG’s Chief Executive. “The climate is changing, and the sector has to change with it. That means investing early, even when conditions are complex.”
Beyond Generation: Batteries, Rooftops, and Retrofitting Legacy
EPCG’s energy transition plan moves across three dimensions: build new capacity, stabilise the system, and modernise what already exists.
- Battery storage is key. A 300 MWh project—among the first of its kind in the region—is in early stages, designed to absorb fluctuations from both wind and hydro during periods of peak demand.
- Solar is scaling fast. Through the “Solari 3000+” initiative, over 6,500 rooftop installations have already been connected—bringing decentralised energy into households and public buildings.
- TE Pljevlja, Montenegro’s only thermal power plant, is undergoing full ecological reconstruction. The project includes emissions control retrofits and the development of a district heating system for the town, turning an environmental liability into a community asset.
Meanwhile, hydroelectric plants like HE Perućica—one of the oldest in the region—are being upgraded with modern control systems, new turbines, and reconfigured flow paths to increase efficiency and extend operational life.
A State Utility in Transition
Unlike private developers, EPCG operates under a different set of constraints—and responsibilities. It must balance innovation with reliability, and transition with social stability.
In 2025, Montenegro will face an eight-month outage at TE Pljevlja due to renovation works. The energy gap will be partially filled with imports, but EPCG sees this as a critical test of its evolving system architecture.
“We know the risks,” says Executive Director of Elektroprivreda, Ivan Bulatović. “But our strategy is about resilience—building a system that can function even in atypical years, especially with more variability in water and weather.”
Public Sector Leadership, Without Grandstanding
What makes EPCG’s journey compelling isn’t just the technology—it’s the measured pace and the transparency with which decisions are being made. Large-scale energy transition, especially in a small country, can’t rely on idealism alone. It requires planning, financing, trust-building, and time.
In a region where public infrastructure often lags behind ambition, EPCG is offering a pragmatic model: one where renewables are rolled out alongside modernisation, where state utilities aren’t just resisting change—but shaping it.
