Montenegro’s Environmental Protection Agency has given the developer of the proposed Velestovo solar project two years to submit a full environmental impact assessment. The agency will determine whether the project can proceed after examining its expected environmental effects.
Developed through SE Velestovo by renewable energy company Nu Energy, the project would combine a 60 MW solar installation with battery energy storage. The battery capacity has not been specified. The project is planned across about 60 hectares near Velestovo village, close to Cetinje, with an investment of EUR 50 million.
The assessment must cover the installation and associated infrastructure. In August 2026, the project signed an agreement to connect to the grid with Montenegro’s transmission system operator, CGES. That development-stage agreement does not replace the separate environmental authorisation required for construction and eventual operation.
Nu Energy’s development pipeline
Environmental approval is one milestone alongside engineering and financing, while project 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 build 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 project is under construction, with commissioning targeted for 2028.
In 2025, Nu Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s Cospowers Technology to examine opportunities for solar-linked storage in the Western Balkans. No battery capacity has been specified for Velestovo. The Environmental Protection Agency will decide whether the project should proceed after the assessment has been submitted and reviewed.
