Montenegro’s Environmental Protection Agency has instructed the developer of Nu Energy’s proposed Velestovo solar-and-storage project to submit a full environmental impact assessment within two years. The agency will decide whether the scheme can proceed after reviewing its expected environmental effects.
Developed through SE Velestovo, the project would pair a 60 MW solar installation with battery energy storage. Its battery capacity has not been specified. The installation is planned on about 60 hectares near the village of Velestovo, close to Cetinje, with an investment of 50 million euros. The assessment will examine the effects of both the solar installation and associated infrastructure.
The project signed a grid connection agreement with Montenegro’s transmission system operator, CGES, in August 2026. That development-stage agreement does not replace the separate environmental authorisation required for construction and eventual operation.
Environmental approval is a project milestone alongside engineering and financing, while schedules depend on resolving environmental, technical and commercial requirements. The Velestovo permitting process will test how quickly Montenegro can advance larger photovoltaic projects through environmental review and grid integration.
Nu Energy aims to develop a renewable generation portfolio of approximately 500 MW. It operates the 3.3 MW Tuzi solar plant and the 3.2 MW Zupa solar plant; its 65.6 MW Bogetici development is under construction, with commissioning targeted for 2028.
In 2025, Nu Energy entered into a memorandum of understanding with China’s Cospowers Technology to examine solar-linked storage opportunities in the Western Balkans. The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision on whether Velestovo should proceed will follow submission and review of the assessment.
