Construction progress on Kapino Polje sections
Work has started on the Kapino Polje project near Nikšić, covering the L1, L2 and B1 sections. The combined work scope corresponds to around 20 MW, with support structures completed and approximately 4 MW of photovoltaic panels already installed. Construction is expected to begin shortly on an additional 20 MW B2 section, bringing the complex to about 40 MW.
From development pipeline to equipment installation
The milestone is significant because much of Montenegro’s renewable growth pipeline remains in development, including permitting or tender stages. Kapino Polje has moved beyond project announcements into actual equipment installation. The development is carried out through EPCG Solar Gradnja, the utility’s dedicated solar construction company.
Role in Montenegro’s power balance and import needs
Montenegro remains heavily dependent on hydropower and the Pljevlja coal plant, leaving electricity production sensitive to rainfall, reservoir levels and thermal availability. Additional solar capacity can reduce summer imports and help EPCG conserve reservoir water for evening peaks or periods when regional prices are higher. This affects how the project’s value relates to more than its installed capacity alone.
Integration challenges for daytime solar output
The shift in focus is increasingly moving from adding renewable megawatts to integrating them efficiently into the system. Solar generation is concentrated in daytime hours, while regional electricity prices often rise sharply after sunset. Storage, flexible hydro operation and stronger transmission links are therefore increasingly important for the economics of new photovoltaic projects.
EPCG portfolio diversification and export implications
Kapino Polje aligns with a broader change in EPCG’s generation portfolio as the utility pursues wind, solar and battery opportunities alongside modernising existing hydro and thermal assets. Montenegro’s export position is also affected by how additional renewables alter the country’s historical pattern of electricity surplus and deficit. That pattern has depended largely on hydrology and availability at Pljevlja, with every additional renewable project reducing volatility during periods of strong summer solar output.
Limits of impact on overall balance
A 40 MW solar plant will not transform Montenegro’s electricity balance on its own. However, it represents the point at which EPCG’s state-led solar strategy begins generating physical assets rather than only development capacity. It could gradually reduce the volume of expensive electricity Montenegro must buy during dry summer periods.
