At a round table on the justification for the solar power plant project on Briska Gora, organized today in Podgorica by NGO Green Home, representatives of relevant institutions including the Ministry of Energy and Mining, the Electricity Company of Montenegro, spatial planning document processors, and the civil sector participated.

With a complete understanding from all interested parties that Montenegro’s green transition is necessary and that the utilization of solar potential and renewable energy sources needs to be increased, the following conclusions were reached:

• Projects for the construction of power facilities for generating electricity from renewable energy sources must be sustainable and environmentally friendly. Projects should not be pushed through solely due to previously signed contracts or agreements, even when there is no ecological justification for their implementation.
• The tender commission formed by the Ministry of Mining and Energy should inform the public about its findings and further steps after the Administrative Court annulled the decision of the previous tender commission on establishing the ranking list of bidders in the public call, based on which the Lease Agreement was signed with the consortium comprising the Electricity Company of Montenegro and Fortum.
• The Ministry of Energy and Mining should ensure that its future activities regarding the utilization of solar potential in Montenegro take into account the natural values of the locations where these projects are planned. In this regard, the justification for the area and location of the planned solar power plant on Briska Gora should be reconsidered, based on information about the natural values of this site, to avoid permanent degradation of the key values of this area through the destruction of landscape values, deforestation, impact on birds, impacts on biodiversity, and impacts on cultural heritage and the local population.

Briska Gora belongs to the Bojana Delta area, a Key Biodiversity Area, and is significant for EMERALD protection, including the Bojana River, Lake Šas, and Knete. It is an important area for bird habitats. The area of Lake Šas, bordering Briska Gora, meets the criteria for a Ramsar internationally important wetland. Therefore, it is an area of exceptional and unique natural and cultural values, with the old town of Svač on Šasko Brdo, representing one of the most significant cultural heritage sites in the municipality of Ulcinj. Despite these facts, which are only part of the overall values of this site, a baseline assessment of biodiversity of the area has not been conducted for the planned project. This study would provide insights into the current state and number of species, ecosystems, habitats, and change trends before the project begins. Accordingly, it is still not possible to evaluate the negative impacts on the biodiversity of the area for the solar power plant project.