The deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) across Southeast Europe is progressing at an uneven pace. State subsidies and financing mechanisms have enabled the rapid implementation of BESS solutions in Greece, Romania and Bulgaria, while markets in the Western Balkans are lagging behind. However, the outlook remains positive, as experiences from neighboring markets and […]
Capacity building and education for corporates, together with product diversification and an upgrade of the regulatory framework, could clear the obstacles for power purchase agreements in the Western Balkans, which are lagging behind the other countries in Southeast Europe. In addition to their other benefits, such contracts could contribute to securing baseload energy from hybrid […]
Technologies for the energy transition already exist, and their use is increasing thanks to falling costs. Investors and bankers claim they are ready to invest and that money isn’t an issue. The missing part are upgraded transmission grids, along with policies and regulations to integrate everything into a suitable environment, according to investors and lenders […]
A Greek-Israeli consortium has signed an agreement to build a 792 MW gas power plant in Larissa, Greece, in an investment valued at EUR 600 million. The facility will use an advanced combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) technology, enabling a net thermal efficiency of 62.6%. The proposed gas power plant is expected to be the […]
Representatives of distribution system operators (DSOs) from Albania, Kosovo*, and Montenegro, partners in the GIZ project Green Agenda – Decarbonization of the Electricity Sector in the Western Balkans, took an active part in the 10th Annual Global Outage Management Forum for DSOs, held in Berlin. The event brought together DSOs, experts, and innovators to address […]
TE-TOL, the main district heating provider in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, has taken over a newly built gas-steam unit, reducing the share of coal in heat generation to 20% and marking another step toward a complete coal phaseout in the country. Slovenia’s official deadline for abandoning coal is 2033, although there are indications it might […]
Montenegro, Serbia, and the Republic of Srpska don’t have a problem attracting investments in electricity production, but they do have issues when it comes to investments in transmission networks. If the introduction of CBAM is not postponed, it will greatly burden their economies. Hungary is interested in strengthening energy ties with them as well as […]
The European Commission has selected 15 renewable hydrogen production projects in five countries within the European Economic Area (EEA) eligible for financial support, in sectors including transportation and chemicals. Awarded at the second European Hydrogen Bank (EHB) auction, they will receive a total of EUR 992 million in subsidies. The selected projects are expected to […]
Norway’s Equinor is resuming construction on its Empire Wind project off the coast of New York after the federal authorities lifted a stop-work order issued in mid-April. The project’s first phase, the 810 MW Empire Wind 1, is expected to generate electricity equivalent to the needs of 500,000 homes in the US state. The construction […]
The Ministry of Energy of Romania launched a public call for expressions of interest for a study identifying areas in the Black Sea for concession agreements for offshore wind farms. It encouraged consortia of international and domestic firms and research institutions to apply. Romania is gradually developing the legal framework for the start of the […]