Montenegrin TPP Pljevlja to Go Offline for 30-day Routine Maintenance

Montenegrin state-controlled power utility EPCG said on Friday its 218 MW Pljevlja thermal power plant (TPP) will be taken offline on April 25 for scheduled 30-day annual maintenance.

The cost of the planned overhaul works is around 4.5 million euro ($4.88 million), EPCG said in a statement.

TPP Pljevlja generated 410,000 MWh of electricity in the first quarter of 2015, 5.5% ahead of plan. The power station delivered 1,317 GWh of electricity to the Montenegrin grid in 2014.

In March, EPCG said it had unsealed the final bids submitted by Skoda Praha and by the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) for the construction of a second unit at TPP Pljevlja.

The Czech company has offered to build a 254 MW unit with electrical efficiency of 39.5% for 338.5 million euro, EPCG said in a statement. CMEC has offered to build a 250 MW unit with an electrical efficiency of 39% for 326 million euro.

Both companies have stated they are ready to secure favourable credits to cover 85% of the necessary funding and to also perform a technical and environmental retrofit ofTPP Pljevlja's existing 218 MW unit worth around 20 million euro.

The commission in charge of assessing the submitted offers should come up by the end of April with a final proposal for the selection of the best bidder for the project.

The construction of the new unit at TPPPljevlja should support Montenegro's independence in terms of energy supply as well as improving the reliability of supply and helping position the country as electricity exporter.

EPCG operates around 870 MW of installed generation capacity. The utility produced a combined 3,036 GWh of electricity in 2014 at its three hydro power plants - Perucica, Piva and Male, and at TPP Pljevlja.

Source: SeeNews