On World Energy Efficiency Day, CEDIS – the national electricity distribution company – is drawing public attention to the need for education, the adoption of, and investment in energy-efficient practices and technologies. Unprecedented instability in the energy market has further brought the efficient use of energy resources into focus as an imperative in financial, as well as ethical and cultural terms, since conserving resources represents a responsible approach to the environment and future generations.
We are proud to highlight that we are a company with no competitor in Montenegro when it comes to the value of investments in energy-efficient projects.
- CEDIS has invested more than EUR 100 million in implementing the SMART METERS system to date, and by installing around 340,000 electronic meters and introducing the “smart metering system”, has brought 80 per cent of Montenegro’s consumption into the system. By implementing the “smart metering system” across more than 80 per cent of consumption in Montenegro’s distribution system, the objectives set out in EU legal acts have been achieved, the average for EU Member States surpassed, and a leading position in the region secured. The Phase III Expansion Project is currently under way and includes the installation of an additional 20,000 electronic meters.
- Thanks to the implementation of the “smart metering system” and consistent field activities aimed at curbing the unauthorised consumption of electricity, electricity losses, which stood at 20.13 per cent in 2012, had been reduced to 11.62 per cent by 2022, representing savings worth more than EUR 60 million. We recall that CEDIS closed the previous year with network losses of 11.62 per cent, 0.77 percentage points lower than in 2021 and the lowest annual level of losses ever recorded in Montenegro’s electricity distribution system.
- CEDIS is also carrying out extensive preparatory activities for the implementation of “smart grids” (SMART GRID) in the electricity distribution system. This involves establishing a SCADA/ADMS system for the remote control of distribution substations (110/35 kV, 110/20 kV, 110/10 kV, 35/10 kV) throughout Montenegro. Preparations for introducing the SCADA system at substations will begin in the coming days, and steps have also been taken to prepare tender documentation for the procurement required to implement the project. The planned value of the SCADA system implementation project is around EUR 25 million, with projections indicating that its implementation will result in further reductions in network losses, generating savings of millions of euros, particularly against the backdrop of global instability in the energy market.
– Investments in energy-efficient projects, particularly the “smart metering system”, position us as regional leaders. Furthermore, with 80 per cent of consumption integrated into the smart metering system, compared with the EU average of 56 per cent, we are also well positioned by European standards. In addition, month after month we are recording the lowest levels of losses ever measured in Montenegro’s electricity distribution system, and are moving rapidly towards implementing “smart grids”, which will further optimise electricity flows through the distribution system. The fact that a significant portion of the funding for these “green projects” has been secured through arrangements with the EBRD speaks for itself. At CEDIS, we will strive to transform Montenegro’s electricity distribution system into one of the most energy-efficient in Europe as soon as possible. In light of what we have achieved, we are on the right track – said Vladimir Čađenović, Executive Director of CEDIS, on the occasion of World Energy Efficiency Day.
In addition to the above, the Business Improvement and Innovative Technologies Sector continuously undertakes activities to optimise electricity consumption in the company’s facilities, and provides guidance and support for implementing projects aimed at applying innovative solutions to increase energy efficiency.
– At CEDIS, we have begun replacing energy-inefficient equipment, gradually modernising our vehicle fleet, and acquiring a number of electric vehicles. We also continuously educate employees to ensure that electricity, office supplies and other materials are used as efficiently as possible. We have registered 118 facilities for Elektroprivreda Crne Gore’s “Solari 5000+” project to install solar panels on the roofs of business facilities and substations, further optimising energy consumption at these sites. Thanks to the measures undertaken, CEDIS’s total electricity consumption in 2022 was reduced by as much as 160,000 kWh compared with the previous year, 2021 – said Dušan Boričić, Head of the Business Improvement and Innovative Technologies Sector.
