"We need qualified staff and as many experts as possible to help us develop strategic documents and laws in order to support the economy and find the right solutions to the challenges ahead of us. To that effect, I expect you to help us find quality and long-term solutions for the energy sector following new trends and energy transition that relies on green energy and renewable sources," told Mladen Bojanić, Minister of Capital Investments in the Government of Montenegro, opening the seventh Conference of the Montenegrin Committee of the International Council on Large Electric Systems, scheduled for 28 to 30 September at the Mediterranean Hotel in Bečići. Minister Bojanić reiterated that the Ministry of Capital Investments, as the authority in charge of developing the energy and climate strategy, is doing its best to include qualified staff as much as possible in the process of developing strategic documents, which is one of the reasons for signing the Memorandum of Cooperation with the University of Montenegro.
The President of the Montenegrin CIGRE Committee Predrag Mijajlović, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Elektroprivreda Crne Gore, Milutin Đukanović and the representative of the CIGRE Regional Committee for Southeast Europe, the President of the CIGRE Committee of Serbia, Nebojša Petrović also wished the participants of the VII Conference successful work.
"This is a year of great anniversaries - one hundred years of Paris CIGRE and 70 years of CIGRE in Montenegro. Our desire was to replace all these piles of emails, incomprehensible video content, with a human, living and warm word. I hope we will succeed in that as well, Mijajlović said and added that good solutions, ideas, critical reviews will be heard at the seventh Conference, and the future of the energy sector in Montenegro can be viewed through the prism of all these topics. It should be noted that in addition to inheriting the engineering profession and its high standards, the Montenegrin CIGRE Committee traditionally educates our young people to respect the diversity of their cultural and historical climate. Without false modesty, we were the bearers of the economic development of the society; however, I believe that at certain moments we were recognized neither by the broadest social community nor by the country. Nonetheless, it did not make us hesitate and we firmly pursued the goal we had ahead of us," Mijajlović emphasized.
"We perceive the current energy transition in Elektroprivreda Crne Gore as a great opportunity to launch economic activities and more dynamic economic growth in the country. Regardless of the fact that all this is going fast and that some unforeseen circumstances are happening, in order to be successful we have to work and build new facilities for the generation of electricity from renewable resources, which is the only safe and winning combination," Milutin Đukanović, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of EPCG told the participants of the VII Conference of the Montenegrin CIGRE Committee at the opening ceremony last night.
Đukanović reminded that no energy source has been built in Montenegro in the past forty years, however, EPCG is now facing large projects, some of which have already been launched.
"Regardless of the fact that all this is going fast and that some unforeseen circumstances are happening, in order to be successful we have to work and build new facilities for the generation of electricity from renewable sources, which is the only safe and winning combination," Milutin Đukanović pointed out.
The seventh Conference was an opportunity to award well-deserved prizes. Thus, in the year when the International CIGRE Committee headquartered in Paris celebrates its centenary, and CIGRE in Montenegro 70 years of existence, by the decision of the Steering Committee of the Montenegrin CIGRE Committee, the Lifetime Achievement Award went to a prominent retired professor from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Montenegro, Jadranka Radović, who was awarded the prestigious recognition for her contribution to the development of Montenegrin energy and energy in general by the President of the Montenegrin CIGRE Committee, Predrag Mijajlović.
Acknowledgments were presented to representatives of companies, this year's patrons, sponsors and friends of the Conference, while a plaque in gratitude for many years of continuous work on the organization and affirmation of the Montenegrin CIGRE Committee was awarded to Momir Grbović, Milica Deretić and Snežana Stanković; the plaque for many years of permanent and exceptionally high-quality professional work of the Montenegrin CIGRE Committee went to Vlajko Jauković and Borislav Brnjada; the plaque in gratitude for long-term cooperation and contribution to the development of the Montenegrin CIGRE Committee went to Snežana Ivanović and Blagota Novosel, as well as Slavka Marković, Ranko Vukotić and Dragutin Martinović.
For the VII Conference of the Montenegrin CIGRE Committee, which is attended by 250 eminent experts, 48 scientific papers from Montenegro and the region were accepted and will be presented within 14 study committees. Debates on the future of the Montenegrin energy are also planned, and this year an exhibition of energy equipment, products, instruments, services and software from renowned domestic and foreign manufacturers was opened.
The sponsors of this year's Conference are General Electric Green Solutions - Belgrade, Elnos Group - Banja Luka and for the first time Terna Montenegro.