Offshore Wind Energy Potential

Montenegro, as a signatory to international agreements, is committed to reducing CO₂ emissions and achieving full decarbonization by 2050. To meet these environmental goals, the country must permanently shut down the coal-fired thermal power plant in Pljevlja. This study assesses the potential electricity generation capacity of an offshore wind farm in Montenegro using 15 MW wind turbines at a location identified in prior research. Two offshore wind farm technical capacity criteria are applied: one defined by the World Bank (WB), specifying a capacity of 3 MW/km², and another by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) under the U.S. Department of Energy, specifying 5 MW/km². The study also examines two operational scenarios of Montenegro’s electricity system. Results show that a fixed-bottom offshore wind farm in an area of 88,438 km², with sea depths up to 60 meters, could generate 55,71% of the electricity produced by the Pljevlja plant based on WB criteria, or 92,86% based on NREL criteria. For depths over 60 meters, a floating offshore wind farm in 678,16 km² could generate 4,22 times the electricity output of the Pljevlja plant based on WB criteria, or 7,04 times its output based on NREL criteria.