Balancing renewable energy, conservation and community priorities.

Launched by TNC and local NGO Eco-Team, in cooperation with the Montenegrin Investment Agency, in October 2024, the Montenegro Energy Growth and Acceleration (MEGA) project implemented TNC’s smart siting approach to develop a low-conflict solar and wind siting scenario for the entire country.

Gathered around the Advisory Committee, the project was supported by the line ministries of the Government of Montenegro, International Financial Institutions and the Energy Community Secretariat, through data sharing, oversight of the study development process, verification and endorsement of the results.

The primary product of the study is granular mapping of renewable energy development potential across Montenegro, including sites suitable for Renewable Acceleration Area (RAA) designation.

Applying the approach in Montenegro can be broken down into four steps:

1. Identifying and applying constraints:
   Areas with factors that prevented utility-scale (>>5MW) wind or solar development were eliminated, either for environmental reasons such as slope and terrain or legal reasons such as residential zones and zones of strict protection in national parks.
2. Calculating development potential:
   Parameters that affect the feasibility of wind and solar projects such as resource availability, (e.g. average wind speeds and solar irradiance), availability of infrastructure (e.g. proximity and capacity of electrical grids, roads) or proximity to load centers were assessed and assigned weighted values in calculations according to detailed expert input.
3. Estimating conflict potential:
   An array of datasets related to different conflict categories were compiled, such as places important for biodiversity (e.g. Important Bird Areas and other ecologically significant areas), areas of heightened socio-cultural value (e.g., sacral architecture, high landscape value viewsheds) or natural resources (e.g., valuable forests and high-value agricultural land).
4. Bringing all the data together:
   Steps 1-3 were visualised and overlaid onto maps to identify optimal locations, prioritizing places with a low potential for conflicts and high development potential.

Whilst the process was data intensive, this methodology produced a detailed and actionable mapping of renewable energy development potential and generated datasets on grid capacity, brownfield sites and rural settlements that added value beyond the project.