Montenegro has approved a revised environmental impact assessment for the €200 million Bijela wind farm, allowing the renewable-energy project to move forward after its earlier environmental consent was annulled following objections from local communities. The project is being developed by Vjetro park Bijela, owned by Alcazar Energy Partners. It comprises a planned 118.8 MW wind farm near Šavnik, with 17 turbines and an 18.7-kilometre, 110 kV transmission line connecting the facility to the Brezna substation.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued the revised approval on September 8. The decision remains subject to appeal. The new procedure followed the annulment of the previous environmental consent by the Ecology Ministry, after complaints were submitted by residents of Šavnik and Plužine and the civic initiative Spasimo Brezna.
Transmission Route Faces Environmental Scrutiny
The main objections have concerned the planned transmission line rather than the wind turbines themselves. The route would use 69 pylons and pass through parts of the Dragišnica and Komarnica Nature Park protection zone. It would also run near the Nevidio canyon and cross the buffer zone of Durmitor National Park. The Komarnica canyon is a proposed Emerald Network site and a potential Natura 2000 area, placing additional environmental requirements on the project as Montenegro progresses toward EU membership. The transmission corridor is expected to cover approximately 935,000 square metres, based on a safety zone extending 25 metres on either side of the line. The final 580-metre section through Brezna is planned as an underground cable.
New Monitoring Requirements
Under the revised environmental approval, Vjetro park Bijela must complete a 12-month bird and bat study. The project will also have to apply measures concerning protected habitats, waterways, forests, noise, erosion and waste management during construction.
The regulator has additionally requested an assessment of the wind farm’s effects on the Durmitor landscape and tourism, as well as restrictions on construction during breeding periods. Bird and bat mortality will be subject to post-construction monitoring for at least three to five years.
Grid Connection and Construction Agreements
The project has already secured several elements of its development framework. Montenegro’s transmission system operator CGES signed a grid-connection agreement with Vjetro park Bijela in September 2024. The government had previously issued planning conditions for the wind farm, while local contractors Sistem MNE and Simes Inženjering signed construction agreements with Alcazar Energy in 2023.
Construction had initially been scheduled to start in 2025, but the dispute over the environmental permit delayed the timetable. Alcazar has said it secured approximately €200 million for the Bijela project and intends to increase its cumulative investment in Montenegro to as much as €500 million by the end of 2030. The revised environmental approval allows the project to proceed through the next stages while leaving the decision open to further appeals.
