The firm “EE Korita” plans to establish solar panels over an area measuring 1.24 million square meters (124 hectares) in the town of the same name in Bijelo Polje. Special attention will need to be given to the protection of the Sijarski stream and springs, the eight ponds, two newly identified flower species at this site, and the snow vole, which has been absent from Montenegro for 40 years.

This information is part of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study for the solar power plant, which was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency at the end of last year.

The solar power facility is set to occupy a total area of 505 hectares, located approximately 40 kilometers from Bijelo Polje, near the Serbian border. The site contains unused older and newer structures belonging to Moravac Farm, with the nearest inhabited village, Lazovići, situated around 1.7 kilometers away.

“EE Korita” was established in late 2022, founded by “EE Croatia APS”. The investor for this €200 million project is the Danish company “European Energy”, with plans for the power plant to generate 331.306 gigawatt-hours annually.

Presence of the Griffon Vulture

“A surface watercourse (Sijarski potok) traverses part of the project site, along with eight ponds present in one area. It is crucial that the Sijarski spring sources and the entire flow of Sijarski potok remain unharmed. The installation of solar panels across the stream is not proposed, and their placement will maintain a minimum distance of ten meters from the stream. Protective measures for the source and stream will be implemented during construction. Additionally, solar panel installations will be avoided in maquis locations. During small mammal research behind the old, abandoned Moravac Farm, a unique species of vole, Chionomys nivalis, was discovered that has not been seen in Montenegro for over 40 years. Construction activities in areas where this vole inhabits must not pose any risks (rockslides, soil filling, etc.),” the Study notes.

The document emphasizes that installing solar panels will necessitate the removal of vegetation and terrain leveling, which could threaten plant species that insects and invertebrates depend on, consequently impacting amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It also highlights that environmental changes can have adverse effects on ground-nesting and feeding birds.

This location has also recorded the presence of the griffon vulture, a species deemed extinct according to the Red Book of Endangered Birds. Additionally, over 20 bird species with unfavorable protection status, according to various international and domestic conventions and laws, have been noted. Some birds from the nearby Pešter Plateau use this area for hunting, yet only three species meet the criteria for designating it as an important site for birds, which are not recorded here.

“Two new flora species for Montenegro have been identified: Potentilla alba L. and Dracocephalum ruyschiana L., with Dracocephalum being the second found on the Balkan Peninsula. The identification of these species led to further discussions with the designer and investor. It was agreed in a meeting that solar panels should be excluded from the meadow where Dracocephalum was recorded, while the second species was found in several locations, at least two of which will avoid project impacts. It is anticipated that this new species will persist in border regions and outside the project zone, similar to Balkan endemic species found at the project site such as Silene sendtneri, Knautia dinarica, Cerastium malyi, and Hypochaeris maculata subspec.pelivanovicii…” The document further mentions that six insect species of special importance, protected at the state level, have also been recorded.

However, there are no protected areas within the context of the Nature Protection Act in this location. The only infrastructural facility is a power line serving the farm, and there are no landscapes or areas of historical, cultural, or archaeological significance, nor any protected artifacts or cultural heritage assets, with only standard pollution expected at the construction site.

Seventy workers are set to handle preparatory activities and road construction, while 300 workers will be involved in the installation and construction of the panels.

240 MW Power Plant

In January of last year, the Montenegrin Electricity Transmission System (CGES) and “EE Korita” entered into a contract for the construction of infrastructure to connect the new solar power plant to the transmission system.

The agreement was signed in Podgorica by CGES’s executive director Ivan Asanović and authorized on behalf of “EE Korita” by Damir Banovec.

“The contract encompasses the planning, construction, and integration of the power plant, which will possess a capacity of 240 megawatts. This initiative aligns with our strategy aimed at enhancing the share of clean energy in overall electricity generation in Montenegro, thereby supporting global sustainable development objectives and contributing to environmental protection,” CGES stated at that time.

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