Page 100 - SE Outlook Regions 2022

“Investment in clean energy, clean technology and renewed efforts to
scale up green infrastructure and development are key focus areas for
the government as part of its vision to build a green economy for the
future with new industries and jobs. These include support for
cross-border flood risk management and the development of energy
infrastructure, including construction of new wind farms and smart
electricity meters,” the government has said.

The government of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic is also putting
efforts into strengthening its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC),
building greater institutional capacity to deliver climate mitigation and
adaptation policies through increased transparency and efficient data
flow for greenhouse gas reporting.

In 2022, the state-owned power company EPCG is expected to
implement two projects to install photovoltaic panels for households
and companies as part of its programme to increase renewable energy
sources.

The government in Podgorica has also decided to restart the procedure
to build the Briska Gora photovoltaic plant, cancelling all works done so
far due to technical issues. The original plan was for a 118 MW plant in
Briska Gora on 437 hectares but subsequently the area was expanded
to 925.25 ha.

Meanwhile, the authorities are expecting results from the exploratory oil
and gas offshore drilling in Montenegro carried out by the Eni-Novatek
consortium. The consortium started the exploratory drilling in March at a
depth of 6,530 metres in the sea between Bar and Ulcinj, and said it
would last four and a half to six months.

The drilling should determine the potential of the deposit, while
production could start three to five years after the completion of the first
drilling. In case of a positive result, the consortium’s next step would be
to start developing the drilling site, which would last between two and
three years. Oil production could begin in 2024.

3.7.5 Construction

By far the largest ongoing construction project in Montenegro is the
construction of the first priority stretch of the Bar-Boljare motorway,
which should be completed soon.

However, in November, the government revealed that the previous
cabinet had borrowed significantly more for the construction of the first
priority stretch of the Bar-Boljare motorway than the project should have
cost.

The motorway was a key project for the previous two governments led
by President Milo Djukanovic’s Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS)
that ran the country for over three decades before losing power in 2020.

In December, the government revealed plans to invest €400mn in the
construction of the second stretch of the motorway in 2023 and 2024.
However, it is not yet clear where these funds will come from. The

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