The Electric Power Company (EPCG) intends to construct the solar power plant named “Kapino polje B2” in Nikšić, featuring 459,000 panels across 64.8 hectares between Štedi and Studenci.

This information was detailed in the documentation submitted by EPCG to the Environmental Protection Agency, seeking a decision on whether an Environmental Impact Assessment Study is required for the project. In June, the agency concluded that a Study must be conducted for the local solar power plant “Kapino Polje B1”.

EPCG has plans for a total of four power plants at Kapino Polje: “B1”, “B2”, “L1”, and “L2”, with an overall investment estimated at around 35.1 million euros.

The Kapino Polje B2 power plant is projected to have a maximum installed capacity of 37.6 megawatts (MW), situated between the Moštanica River and the Zeta Canal, linked to the Nikšić – Vilusi highway as well as the local road to Riđane. The project aims to generate approximately 52.81 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity in its first year.

“The implementation of ‘Kapino Polje B2’ includes plans for a connecting local road, an internal service road for necessary access to the power plant and fire trucks, along with designated manipulation areas within the site. The location has no registered immovable cultural assets, no visible remnants indicating archaeological sites, and lacks existing infrastructure or constructions. The project is expected to significantly alter the current visual landscape at the site and its surrounding areas,” the documentation mentions.

It is important to note that these plots belong to EPCG and were acquired as part of the construction works for the Slano and Vrtačko lakes. They also received the urban and technical conditions for the project in March of this year. Standard pollution typical of construction sites is anticipated during the building phase.

The construction of the solar complex at Kapino Polje was recently contested by the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds (CZIP). They assert that EPCG has already begun the construction of the solar plant projects (“L1”, “L2”, “B1”, and “B2”) without the necessary environmental approval, having failed to submit the required Elaborate, which is a legal prerequisite for initiating any work.

“CZIP argues against the construction of a solar power plant in Kapino Polje, citing numerous and significant spatial, environmental, and legal reasons that indicate that this site is unsuitable for such development. The analysis titled ‘Mapping of Solar and Wind Potential in the Municipality of Nikšić’ identifies Kapino Polje as a conflict zone for the construction of energy facilities due to the area’s high sensitivity. This determination is further supported by the Local Biodiversity Action Plan of the Municipality of Nikšić for 2024 – 2029, which recognizes Kapino Polje as a potential fourth Ramsar site and a future Natura 2000 area,” as emphasized on the CZIP website.

As a result, they have urged EPCG to withdraw from the project and have appealed to the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Development of the North, as well as the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism, and State Property, for an urgent response.

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