(Podgorica, July 24. 2013.) – Non-governmental organization Green Home and MANS strongly oppose the Government’s intention to use the intergovernmental agreement and without a public tender in order to realize investment of the Second thermal power plant in Pljevlja, which construction would be a prelude to the permanent destruction of the northernmost and most polluted city in Montenegro.
Insufficient government’s announcement that it would know an invester by the end of the year and also would sign intergovernmental agreement, raises doubts that these are secret agreements, such as the one for the undersea cable, when it is not proven economic interest of the state of the project, but nevertheless citizens were served with the final solution.
The same approach is now being used in the Second Thermal power plant in Pljevlja, because there is no real analysis of cost benefit, or at least not presented to the public, which would show what would be the economic benefits, and what harm from the realization of the investment, which is estimated at 300 million.
It is also not known whether citizens or others would finance this project, and under what circumstances, who will bear the costs of expropriation and what is its price, while the great unknown is whether they even count the cost of environmental protection, which should be measured by tens of millions of euros, as well as the cost of investing in the necessary environmental remediation of the existing block.
However, what has been revealed is that the electricity from Pljevlja’ s block is intended for export to Italy and in 40 years, which is the time designed to work Second thermal power plant, coal reserves will be completely used from Pljevlja s complex, which clearly implies that citizens will not have particular benefit from this project.
Also, it is seriously suggested that the potential investors could have been any of the Chinese companies who submmit offers, but at the same time it is not emphasized that Chinese companies do not meet the strict requirements of the construction in terms of the environment and efficiency, as is the case with European companies.
Finally, given that the existing First thermal power plant is located within the National Power Supply Company of Montenegro (EPCG),and that coal is transported from a separate company, or coal mine, it is unknown a model for future reorganization of the company and the conditions under which it would be realized.
In this sense, it is highly unacceptable that EPCG has all rights to decide on the allocation of Power plant model and its connection with the coal mine, due to the obvious conflict of interest, since the Italian company A2A manages EPCG, and is also the largest shareholder in Plevlja mine.
Green Home and MANS require from the government to publish all relevant information on the construction of the Second unit of power plant in Pljevlja, especially analysis that will demonstrate economic viability, public interest and the financial sustainability of the project .
Also, we request publishing of all studies that would present the impact of the construction of the Second block on citizens’ health and Pljevalja itself, especially because they have been living in the environment where the parameters of pollution and threats to life show that this place is the first in the country. Especially since it is already in an attempt to justify in front of the public the intention of building another block in Pljevlja, and often is used the argument that the construction of new thermal power would solve the issue of pollution. At the same time no analysis or data are given to prove that.
For these reasons, we believe that a transparent process, disclosure of all terms and a public tender procedure the only right way in any decision to build the second block. Anything else would be putting citizens of Pljevalja and public of Montenegro in general with a fait accompli and forcing the project whose negative consequences can be far-reaching.
Green Home and MANS
