Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – According to the environmental NGO Eco-Team, citizens need to be informed whether the reconstruction of the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant (TPP) has been successful and whether the facility can meet the strict requirements of European directives that Montenegro has already committed to implementing, while the entire process should have been conducted more transparently.

The NGO stated in a press release that the new Comply or Close report for this year by the CEE Bankwatch Network shows that pollution from coal-fired power plants in the Western Balkans continues to significantly exceed the standards that WB countries committed to through the Energy Community Treaty. 

“For Montenegro, the key question is whether the environmental reconstruction of the Pljevlja TPP has resulted in a real and measurable reduction in pollution, and whether the plant can now operate continuously in compliance with the strict emission standards that Montenegro is already required to meet through its obligations under the Energy Community and its European Union accession process,” the press release reads.

According to the report, the TPP Pljevlja operated for 2,790 hours last year, significantly less than in previous years because the facility was offline due to reconstruction works. As a result of the reduced operating hours, annual emissions were lower than in 2024: sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions amounted to 18,640 tonnes, dust emissions to 164 tonnes, and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to 1,670 tonnes.

However, these figures alone do not prove that the reconstruction achieved its intended results. Lower annual emissions during a year in which the power plant operated for a much shorter period cannot be interpreted as confirmation that the facility, following reconstruction, continuously complies with legally prescribed emission limits.