Work on the environmental reconstruction of the TPP Pljevlja, which was suspended for two months due to weather conditions, will continue during March.
This is what project manager Zoran Šljukić told Vijesti, explaining that in mid-March, part of the equipment from China worth around EUR 10 million will be delivered to TPP, and that installation will begin at the end of the month.
– The second round of equipment from China will arrive at the end of April and May, and the third by the end of August – said Å ljukić.
Work on the environmental reconstruction of the Pljevlja TPP began on April 27 last year, and is planned to last until October 15, 2024, when all plants are scheduled to be put into trial operation.
The reconstruction is being done by a consortium consisting of the Chinese company DEC International, Bemax, BBsolar and Permonte. The value of the works is around EUR 60 million without VAT, of which EUR 45 million refers to the basic contract, and EUR 15 million to the adaptation of the boiler.
The works so far have been carried out in accordance with the dynamic plan that we signed with the contractor. We have precisely defined dates for all phases of both design and execution of works. According to the dynamic plan, the commissioning of all plants is on October 15, 2024.
A major stoppage in the operation of the TPP is planned from March 1, 2024 to October 15. Then the biggest works and connection of all plants will be carried out. Considering the prices of electricity on the market, we will start discussions with the contractor and we will try to shorten that period of seven and a half months as much as possible.
In general, it can cost the electricity industry and the state a lot due to the necessity of importing a large amount of electricity during the downtime of the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant – said Å ljukić.
After commissioning of the Thermal Power Plant on October 15, a trial run was conducted, during which possible errors will be eliminated and a performance test will be performed.
– The contractor will have to prove through a performance test that he has achieved what we asked for when issuing the tender, for the design and execution of the works. And that is that all plants meet the strictest European standards in terms of flue gas emissions – pointed out Å ljukić.
The biggest benefit of ecological reconstruction is the construction of a desulfurization plant, which, as Šljukić claims, will significantly improve the state of the environment in Pljevlja. Allegedly, emissions of sulfur oxides from the current 6.5 thousand milligrams will be reduced to below 130 milligrams.
Another important plant that will be built is a denitrification plant that will lower the emission of nitrogen oxides from the current 350 and 400 milligrams to less than 150 milligrams per cubic meter.
– We will also build a wastewater treatment plant. We will also install noise suppressors so that the unpleasant noise that occurs during the start-up or stoppage of the Thermal Power Plant will be eliminated. We will also build a permanent boiler house that will be a backup source for district heating of the city – said Å ljukić.
He pointed out that the installation of equipment is a more demanding job than previous works.
– So far, we have completed construction facilities in which mechanical and electrical equipment will be installed. The previous works were a prerequisite for starting the installation of the equipment.
The work is supervised by a team of 12 engineers.
Šljukić points out that the ecological reconstruction work, which is now being done at the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant, was done in developed European countries 20 or 30 years ago.
– Unfortunately, Montenegro lags behind Europe, but when we do all this, we will have much less polluted air. As far as particulate matter is concerned, in 2009 we installed electrostatic precipitators that have far better performance than the plant that was installed when the TPP was put into operation in 1982. Current electrostatic precipitators lower the level of particulate matter below 20 milligrams per cubic meter.