Montenegro has begun test operations at the Western Balkans' first landfill biogas power plant, a facility with at least 1.5 MW installed capacity at the Možura regional landfill near the country's Adriatic coast.
The EUR 1.8 million project, developed in partnership with Slovenia's Centre for International Cooperation and Development, entered trial operation in December 2025. The system can collect 400 to 500 cubic metres of biogas per hour and is expected to supply electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of up to 400 households.
The Možura landfill serves the municipalities of Bar and Ulcinj. Although biogas has been collected at the site for several years, its methane content of approximately 50 per cent was previously flared. The new power plant now converts this waste gas into electricity using the existing landfill infrastructure.
Part of the electricity will be used by the landfill itself, while the remainder will be sold on the organised power exchange. Municipal operator Možura projects annual electricity generation of 7.5 GWh with 95 per cent uptime.
Austrian company Jenbacher supplied the power generation equipment, which is now connected to Montenegro's electricity distribution system.
Možura has issued two procurement tenders as the plant moves towards commercial operation. The maintenance contract, open until 6 February, covers a four-year framework agreement valued at EUR 599,600 plus VAT. Eligible bidders must have previously built and commissioned at least one landfill gas electricity system of 500 kW or larger.
A separate tender, which closed on 26 January, sought an intermediary to sell the plant's electricity output through licensed electricity traders. Bidders were required to be exchange members holding at least three active contracts with renewable energy producers and minimum annual revenues of EUR 800,000. The intermediary will assume balancing responsibility for the facility's output.
Slovenia's Environmental Public Fund contributed EUR 631,000 to the project, covering approximately one third of total costs. Montenegro's Environmental Protection Fund (Eco Fund) provided EUR 50,000 for design work and revisions.
A wind power plant operates adjacent to the Možura landfill site.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić announced two weeks ago that Japanese company Itochu has expressed interest in developing a municipal waste incinerator of up to 50 MW in the capital Podgorica.
In neighbouring Serbia, concessionaire Beo čista energija is constructing a landfill gas facility at Belgrade's Vinča complex. The project comprises two units with combined capacity of 3.2 MW electrical and 5.8 MW thermal output.
