A consortium consisting of the company HSV from Vlasotince, Belgrade-based Opticus Ing, and Kolubara Mionica has been selected to carry out the project of relocating the Ćehotina Riverbed, according to a statement from the Coal Mine in Pljevlja.
The consortium was chosen by the tender commission in accordance with the tender rules.
Late last year, the Coal Mine issued an international tender for a portion of the project worth EUR 16.2 million, excluding VAT. Two regional consortia applied for the tender.
The multi-member commission of the Coal Mine carried out an evaluation of the submitted offers and made an appropriate decision regarding the ranking and selection of the bidder.
“The commission excluded the second-ranked consortium from the public procurement process due to incomplete documentation regarding the fulfillment of the conditions for the business capacity of the economic entity, as outlined in the tender documentation,” the statement said.
The Coal Mine highlighted that the selected consortium consists of companies with relevant experience, which have been carrying out the construction of riverbank fortifications on the Lim River in Berane and Bijelo Polje over the past year, a project funded by the World Bank (WB).
The company emphasized that the project of relocating the Ćehotina Riverbed is of utmost national importance, as stable operations of the Coal Mine and the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant (TPP) are crucial for Montenegro’s energy stability.
“Therefore, due to the significance and the urgency of the project, we expect to swiftly complete all tender procedures so that the selected consortium can start work as soon as possible, as the project must be completed in a significantly shorter period in coordination with the ecological reconstruction project by the end of the construction season this year,” the statement added.
According to the conditions, the deadline for completing the work on the project is 210 days from the day the contractor is introduced to the project.
The Coal Mine reminded that the project had been delayed due to inadequate decisions in the previous period and urban planning and technical conditions from 2019, which prevented the project from being carried out.
“As a result, we accelerated the work, and after obtaining the permit, the new management began the work and tender procedures to ensure that this extremely important project is completed on time,” the company stated.
The project of relocating the Ćehotina Riverbed is divided into three phases.
The tender specifies that the company selected for the job will carry out, among other tasks, engineering and construction work, the construction of bridges and roads, pipelines, structures, communication and energy lines, hydraulic engineering structures, river walls, and waterways, as well as other tasks defined in the tender documentation.
The Coal Mine also noted that last year, in order to reduce project costs, it independently and successfully carried out works worth EUR 2.96 million.
This year will be the most challenging for the Coal Mine and Montenegro’s energy system due to the implementation of two important investment projects – the relocation of the Ćehotina Riverbed and the ecological reconstruction of the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant, both of which must be completed this year.
“Despite these challenges, the management of the Coal Mine has clearly defined investment goals for the future successful development of the company and the energy sector,” the statement concluded.
