New renewable energy sources and batteries bring lower electricity bills
08 October 2025
Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) is taking part in the international conference Energy Week Western Balkans 2025, held in Montenegro on 8 and 9 October, organised by the British consulting company Invest In Network, EPCG announced.
According to EPCG, this prestigious event has brought together more than 250 participants from countries across the region and Europe, including government representatives, ambassadors, regulators, power companies, international investors and financial institutions.
“The main goal of the event is to strengthen regional cooperation and accelerate the Western Balkans’ energy transition towards sustainable energy sources, in line with the European Green Deal and the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050,” the company stated.
In his opening remarks, the President of the EPCG Board of Directors, Milutin Đukanović, said that Montenegro has become a leader in developing renewable energy sources in the region and that EPCG is already implementing projects that contribute to achieving this goal.
“What is the essence of the energy transition? A stable energy sector and, as much as possible, lower electricity prices for our citizens. And how do we achieve that? By providing more than enough electricity. By the end of the year, we will have almost 200 MW of new power generation capacity from both solar and wind sources,” said Đukanović.
Speaking about the importance of battery systems, Đukanović emphasised that the company’s business philosophy – “Produce where you spend, using hydropower infrastructure to connect solar and wind” – cannot work unless renewable energy sources are accompanied by strong battery system development.
“This is exactly what Elektroprivreda is doing, and by 2027 we expect, through our own efforts, to have between 600 and 700 MW of new energy capacity,” said Đukanović, adding: “The more renewable electricity sources we have, integrated with battery systems, the cheaper electricity will be for our citizens.”
Đukanović added that EPCG expects a public call for strategic partners to be announced very soon.
“The state-owned company is doing its best. Of course, the conditions are challenging because they involve procedures, public procurement and similar processes. That is why strategic partners are so important. New technologies and expertise are crucial for further development. EPCG is now opening up to public-private partnerships. We are ready to find a model, which I am announcing publicly, that will be of essential interest to EPCG, while ensuring that potential partners are not disadvantaged – quite the opposite,” he said.
He concluded by noting that major achievements start with simple ideas and that it is time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
The two-day event will address key issues for the region’s future energy development, including accelerating the construction of hybrid plants, strengthening grid resilience, de-risking investments in solar and wind projects, and improving market mechanisms such as Contracts for Difference (CfD) and corporate PPA models.
Special attention will also be given to industrial decarbonisation, electricity market development and the potential role of hydrogen in the future energy mix of the Western Balkans.
In addition to Milutin Đukanović, the conference was attended by the Italian Ambassador to Montenegro, Andreina Marsella, the Minister of Energy and Mining of Montenegro, Admir Šahmanović, the Minister of Energy and Mining of Republika Srpska, Petar Đokić, the President of the Energy Agency of Serbia, Dejan Popović, the General Director of the Electric Power Company of Republika Srpska, Luka Petrović, and many others.
“EPCG remains committed to the vision of Montenegro becoming an energy-independent, modern and green country, through the sustainable use of natural resources, business digitalisation and the development of new technologies that bring benefits to both citizens and the economy,” the company concluded.