Montenegro’s state-owned power utility EPCG has terminated its second tender for the design and construction of the Otilovici small hydropower plant after rejecting all submitted proposals. The public procurement commission dismissed bids from three consortia led by local firms Vigoris Ecotech, Permonte, and Elnos Crna Gora. While all three offers aligned with the tender’s estimated cost of around 6.8 million euros, none met the required approval criteria.
The tender, launched in late December, required the completion of a detailed project design and environmental impact assessment within six months, followed by a construction period of one to two years. EPCG is developing the 3 MW plant under a 2022 concession agreement for the Otilovici dam on the Cehotina River in northern Pljevlja municipality. The original contract set an 18-month deadline for technical documentation and construction permits, with an additional 24 months for construction. These timelines have already been extended once, with the preliminary phase now due in January 2025.
In April, the Montenegrin government revealed that EPCG sought a further one-year extension for the preparatory phase, citing procurement challenges.
Once built, the plant will feature two turbines with a combined capacity of 3.3 MW and an expected annual output of 11 GWh.