In a pioneering move for state-owned utilities in the Balkans, Montenegro’s largest power utility, EPCG, is planning to launch a large-scale, battery energy storage procurement exercise by the end of 2024.

“By the end of the current year, EPCG will open a public call for the supply of 300 MWh of battery systems,” Milutin Djukanovic, chairman of the EPCG Board of Directors, said last Thursday.

In September, EPCG said it was is looking to deliver 185 MWh of battery energy storage capacity across four locations. Its stated goal was to use the existing infrastructure for connection to the grid.

The projects foreseen in the September plan include a 60 MWh system located at the hydropower plant Perućica, two units of 60 MWh at metal processing company EPCG Željezara Nikšić, and another 60 MWh system next to the thermal power plant Pljevlja. The utility has also decided to install a 5 MWh battery energy storage system alongside its proposed Kapino Polje solar power plant, which would have 5 MW of installed capacity.

While EPGC has significantly increased the targeted BESS capacity, it has not been specified yet if additional projects are in the planning at this point, or it has only upped the capacity of the above mentioned developments.

EPCG has 874 MW of installed generation capacity, with 649 MW coming from two big hydro power plants, Perucica and Piva. It also operates the 225 MW TE Pljevlja, the country’s sole thermal power plant.

The utility also has several small hydropower plants and is developing a number of renewable energy projects, including Komarnica hydroelectric power plant (172 MW), WF Gvozd wind power plant (54.6 MW) and SP Briska Gora solar power plant (250 MW).