Activities related to the implementation of the solar power plant project on Briska Gora in the Municipality of Ulcinj began in 2018 with the announcement of a public call for leasing state-owned land. The lease area was 6,621,121m², which is 2.2 times larger than the planned assumption (2,930,243m²).
For six years, successive governments of Montenegro have been trying to amend spatial planning documentation without respecting legal procedures to enable the clearing and vegetation removal of 6,621,121m² of Briska Gora’s characteristic landscape for the installation of solar panels.
From the graphical representations of the increased area for solar energy exploitation, prepared within the Amendments to the Spatial-Urban Plan of the Municipality, it is clear that the planned project area occupies almost the entire Briska Gora and is in contact with surrounding areas significant for nature protection.
Given that the planned project has been marked by a series of controversies, including two legal disputes annulling the Tender Commission’s decision on establishing the bidder ranking list in the 2018 public call, we call on the Ministry of Energy and Mining to stop wandering regarding the Solar Power Plant project and preserve Briska Gora. The idea of utilizing Montenegro’s solar potential in this manner should be abandoned. Although the importance of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is clear, a more comprehensive approach to planning the use of solar potential is necessary to avoid permanent degradation of key natural area values through the destruction of landscape values, deforestation, bird impacts, biodiversity impacts, and impacts on the local population.
Briska Gora belongs to the Bojana Delta area, a Key Biodiversity Area significant for EMERALD protection, including the Bojana River, Lake Šas, and Knete. It is important 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 for biodiversity 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.
The construction of the solar power plant on Briska Gora is yet another major infrastructure project where the steps have been taken out of order. Before signing contracts with investors and amending the existing spatial planning documentation, it was necessary to conduct a biodiversity assessment of the area in question.
