EPCG pushes Piva River HPP Kruševo forward with EDF cooperation and a pumped-storage option

Montenegro’s electricity utility EPCG is advancing preparations for a new hydropower project on the Piva River, aiming to complete key project documentation by the end of the year in cooperation with EDF. The timetable matters for investors because it sets up the next phase of engineering work and potential contracting once EPCG locks in the plant’s technical direction.

Project scope and investigation work

The planned project—HPP Kruševo—is expected to have an installed capacity of 82 MW and annual electricity production of around 170 GWh. EPCG said geological investigations began in late 2025 and are intended to support the next development steps.

Those studies build on a contract signed in November 2024 with the Jaroslav Černi Institute for Water Management, covering both project design and detailed field research.

Technical concept under review, including pumped storage

EPCG’s current focus is determining the most suitable technical concept for the plant. A central option being considered is upgrading the project into a pumped-storage hydropower facility, which would be designed to improve system flexibility and help balance the grid.

That review is likely to influence downstream decisions on engineering scope, cost structure, and how quickly EPCG can move toward procurement and construction arrangements.

Next steps toward full documentation and an EPC contract

After EPCG defines the optimal technical solution, it plans to prepare full technical documentation and initiate procedures that could lead to signing an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract.

EDF role outlined in memorandum; Komarnica remains secondary

EPCG’s cooperation with French utility EDF is based on a memorandum of understanding that outlines a potential broader role for EDF. The document points to possible involvement across design, financing, and operational aspects, particularly in relation to the Krusevo project.

While another hydropower project, HPP Komarnica, remains under evaluation, EPCG has indicated that HPP Kruševo currently has development priority. Any further decisions on Komarnica will depend on ongoing assessments and future planning outcomes.