Minister of Energy and Mining Prof. Dr. Sasa Mujovic held a working meeting with the President of the Municipality of Pljevlja Dario Vranes and the Executive Director of Eco Fund Drasko Boljevic in order to agree on the launch of special energy efficiency incentive programs for the citizens of Pljevlja and Bijelo Polje. Aforementioned cities are recognized for their high level of air pollution, predominantly caused by the use of coal for heating purposes.
The municipality of Pljevlja allocated more than 2 million euros in the budget for 2024 for energy efficiency improvement. The plan is to continue installing new facades on buildings in the city center, while the same project intended for individual households is being successfully implemented through UNDP. It was agreed that additional funds would be used through the Eco Fund, in order to speed up the process, and it was proposed to consider other subsidy options, regaring the procurement of heat pumps and air conditioners. The Ministry of Energy and Mining also sugested the inclusion of mining settlements of Sula and Gradac in in these programs. A special emphasis was placed on simplifying the tendering procedures for subsidies and what is most important – that the works are carried out by local companies and by the construction section of the Pljevlja Coal Mine.
It is expected that the conditions will be met soon for the start of the implementation of special programs for Pljevlja and Bijelo Polje, to the satisfaction of end users and all involved parties.
The Ministry of Energy and Mining and the Eco Fund will take care of encouraging the improvement of energy efficiency in other cities of Montenegro, especially through the funds provided by the European Commission’s support package for overcoming the energy crisis (approximately 8 million euros).
The meeting was attended by the State Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mining, the Director General for Energy Efficiency, as well as representatives of the Eco Fund and the Municipality of Pljevlja.