THE CURRENT SITUATION AND FUTURE POTENTIAL OF THE MONTENEGRIN ENERGY SECTOR

Abstract

The article provides an overview of the past development, current situation and future potential of the energy sector of Montenegro. This overview is primarily based upon a project entitled Basis for the Energy Development Strategy of the Republic of Montenegro till 2025, which is the result of a joint project by the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar, Zagreb, Croatia, and the IREET Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia. The project began in late 2005 and ended in mid 2006. It was commissioned and implemented with the goal of providing a foundation for the development of the energy strategy for Montenegro. Since the percentage of electrical energy in the consumption of the final forms of energy is highly significant, i.e. the importance of electrical energy for the economic and overall development of Montenegro is crucial, the description of the future development of the energy sector is primarily focused upon the electrical energy sector. The coal sector is considered only to the extent that domestic coal serves as a potential energy base for the production of electrical energy.