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Pljevlja Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Pljevlja, Northern, Montenegro.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Pljevlja Coal Mine | Pljevlja, Northern, Montenegro | 43.339467, 19.364433 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[1] | – | 1952[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 1.862[2] | 2023 | Surface | Open Pit | – | 50* | #REF!* |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54.9[1] | 2021[1] | 178[1] | – | Lignite[3] | Thermal | Pljevlja Power Station |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Elektroprivreda Crne Gore AD | Elektroprivreda Crne Gore | Montenegro |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM | 1.474[4] | 1.539[1] | 1.561[1][5] | 1.656[1] | 1.548[1] | 1.722[6] | 1.862[2] |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September and December supplements.
Background
The mine supplies coal to the Pljevlja Power Station which is the only coal-fired power plant in the country.
In the past, the company considered expanding the mine to account for an expansion at the power station (Pljevlja II) but in 2019 the new power plant units were cancelled.
As of October 2024, the project works on the relocation of the flow of the Ćehotina River (River Bed Relocation project) was under way. It was said to be the largest infrastructure project currently active in Montenegro and on whose implementation the stability of the country's energy system depends.[7]
The coal mine had a negative result in the first half of 2024 caused by the extended overhaul of the Pljevlja power station, but reported a positive business result in the 3rd quarter of 2024 despite work on two fronts - coal mining and overburdening and the implementation of planned activities on the new bed of the Ćehotina River. The coal mine expects a challenging period during the downtime of the Pljevlja Power Plant in 2025 due to the planned environmental reconstruction.[7] The Ćehotina Riverbed Relocation Project must be completed in coordination with the ecological reconstruction (of the power plant) project by the end of the next construction season due to limited coal supplies.[8] A loan of 20 million euros was used for the the Ćehotina River project, and the company also has the expropriation of the village of Klaušići costing 3.2 million euros.[9] As of early 2025, according to reporting, there was coal for another year but due to the occurrence of landslides and cracks in half of the Potrlica mine, further mining of would not be impossible. By moving Ćehotina river bed, there will be coal reserves, which will be sufficient until 2048.[10]
In September 2024, the coal mine marked 72 years since the start of operations.[8]
In February 2025, it was reported that the coal mine acquired additional land located next to the Pljevlja - Podgorica main road and the new Ćehotina riverbed. This allows to connect the property into a single entity and expand the potential for the development of the coal mine's future business and tourism complex, which is said to part of Pljevlja coal mine's Recovery Plan.[11][12]
Coal Phase-Out Delayed
In 2021, Montenegro has committed to phase out coal only by 2035.[13] In April 2024, the Minister of Energy and Mining of Montenegro Saša Mujović stated that the Pljevlja power plant will operate for at least seven to ten years (i.e. up to 2034).[14]
However in December 2024, the Ministry of Energy of Montenegro prepared and submitted the draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) to the Energy Community Secretariat for a review, now stating 2041 as the planned retirement date. The proposed 2041 deadline is to allow time to install new power plants.[15][16]
Resources and articles
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 (PDF) https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2023-09/diagnostics_of_socio-economic_situation_in_the_coal_region_pljevlja_final_1.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 (PDF) https://www.monstat.org/uploads/files/Energetika/ugalj/2023/Balance_of_coal_2023.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240719011630/https://www.monstat.org/uploads/files/Energetika/ugalj/2022/Balance_of_coal_2022.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.monstat.org/userfiles/file/ENERGETIKA/bilans%20uglja/2017/Balance_of_coal_2017.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.emeoutlookmag.com/company-profiles/350-coal-mine-pljevlja.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.monstat.org/uploads/files/Energetika/ugalj/2022k/Balance_of_coal_2022.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Podrška za projekte Rudnika". /www.rupv.me. October 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 "RUP pozitivnim poslovanjem obilježio 72 godinu kompanije". /www.rupv.me. September 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Rudnik uglja: 2025. biće godina preživljavanja, planiran rast broja zaposlenih". rtcg.me. December 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Izmještanje Ćehotine: Raspisani tenderi za iznajmljivanje mehanizacije i odabir stručnog nadzora". forbes.vijesti.me. January 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Rudnik uglja uvećao imovinu". www.rupv.me/r. February 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Laković: Rudnik uglja uspješno prevazilazi sve teškoće i barijere". /www.pvnovine.me. September 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Montenegro to decide on life after coal". www.just-transition.info. March 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Mujović: Montenegro's coal plant Pljevlja won't be shut down for another ten years". balkangreenenergynews.com. April 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Montenegro drafts NECP: TPP Pljevlja to be shut down by 2041". balkangreenenergynews.com. December 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Montenegro asks EU to delay TPP shutdown to 2041 - report". /seenews.com/. December 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Related GEM.wiki articles
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
