The Government of Montenegro has granted a 24.5-year concession for coal extraction at the Pljevlja mine, extending production of lignite deposits until 2050. The agreement was formally exchanged by Minister of Energy and Mining Admir Šahmanović and Nemanja Laković, CEO of Rudnik uglja Pljevlja (RUP), during a ceremony marking Miner’s Day and the mine’s 73rd anniversary.
According to the Ministry, the concession ensures long-term use of significant coal reserves in the Pljevlja basin, one of northern Montenegro’s most important mining regions. The mine is required to produce at least 1.65 million tons of lignite annually, with the concession fee set at 4% of the market value of the extracted reserves.
Šahmanović stressed that the country’s goal is to develop mining responsibly and in line with international standards, while also preparing for the challenges of a just transition. The sites covered under the concession include Potrlica, Kalušići, Grevo, and Rabitlje.
Nearly all of the mine’s output supplies the Pljevlja thermal power plant, Montenegro’s only coal-fired power station and its largest electricity producer. However, the draft National Energy and Climate Plan proposes 2041 as the provisional closure date for the plant, depending on the pace of the transition and security of energy supply.
