Pljevlja power plant back on the grid after a ten-day overhaul; October deliveries 42% above plan

The Pljevlja thermal power plant has been reconnected to the electricity grid after a planned ten-day overhaul in which more than 260 technical interventions were carried out, Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) announced, according to Vijesti. The unit was taken offline on 30 October after almost three months of operation without a single trip. The overhaul, originally planned for 15 days, was shortened by working in three shifts.

What was done. The works covered the boiler, the turbine and the coal mills: boiler wall tubes, recirculation ducts, replacement of worn components and cleaning of heat-exchange surfaces and cooling systems. The desulphurisation, denitrification and ash-handling systems were also inspected. According to the plant manager, Ivan Sarovlah, quoted by the local PV portal, the aim was to reduce the risk of unplanned outages during winter.

The figures. By the end of October the generator had produced 1,267,417 MWh and 1,140,759 MWh had been delivered to the grid, according to EPCG. In October alone, deliveries reached 137,372 MWh, 42% above the monthly plan. EPCG's executive director, Nikola Madžgalj, said deliveries since the start of the year amount to about 88% of the annual plan, and that the plant's share of domestic generation is between 40% and 50%, rising to 60–70% in summers with very poor hydrology.

Emissions. EPCG says that after the environmental reconstruction, sulphur dioxide emissions have fallen by more than 98% and nitrogen oxide emissions by about 74% compared with the period before the works. The company stresses, however, that lower stack emissions do not mean the air-quality problem in Pljevlja has been solved.

Prices. Madžgalj told RTCG that electricity imported at 300 euros per MWh is sold to households for 45 euros, and that any price increase would not be decided overnight but only after analysis.

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