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September 10, 2025
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September 15 – new deadline for applications for 2025 Female Leader in Sustainable Energy

WISE Serbia, women’s network in sustainable energy, climate action, and environment, under the auspices of the German development cooperation GIZ, has extended the deadline for applications within the 2025 Female Leader in Sustainable Energy award. The new application deadline is September 15.

The call for nominations aims to recognize women who, through their leadership, outstanding achievements, and vision, have demonstrated significant contributions to the sustainable development of Serbia’s energy and related sectors, energy transition acceleration, improvement of energy efficiency, energy security, and safety, as well as the greater recognition of women in this field.

Information about the Award competition

Women professionally engaged in the energy sector, climate action, or environmental protection in Serbia are eligible to apply, both citizens of Serbia and foreign nationals working in Serbia. The candidates themselves can submit applications, as well as their employers, colleagues, or teams who wish to highlight the outstanding achievements of their associates.

The invitation is open to all profiles – decision-makers, employees in business, public enterprises, academia, civic energy, non-governmental sector, international organizations, consulting teams, legal and financial institutions, IT experts, as well as media representatives.

The application needs to be emailed by September 15, 2025, to info@wisesrbija.org. It needs to include:

  1. Nomination letter presenting the candidate and listing the significant results and achievements nominating her for the selection.
  2. Professional résumé.
  3. A short nomination statement to present to the wider public on the WISE Serbia website and social media platforms. The statement should be up to 100 words.
  4. Photo portrait in high resolution.
  5. Contact info – email address, phone number, social network accounts that the candidate is actively using.

Applications should be sent by email to info@wisesrbija.org.

After processing the submitted applications, the candidates’ profiles will be published on the WISE Serbia network website – wisesrbija.org, and the voting will be open to the public. The candidate with the highest number of votes will be awarded the title of Female Leader in Sustainable Energy.

The announcement ceremony for the Leader in Sustainable Energy 2025 will take place during the WISE Serbia women’s network annual conference in mid-October in Belgrade.

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September 10, 2025
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Environmentalists warn EU that Bulgaria ignores coal plants breaching pollution rules

Greenpeace Bulgaria and Za Zemiata (For the Earth) said they would file a complaint today with the European Commission over repeated failures by Bulgarian authorities to enforce the European Union’s environmental law at four coal plants. They expressed the view that institutions are prioritizing financial interests over public health and the environment.

Environmental organizations Greenpeace Bulgaria and Za Zemiata wrote a complaint, to submit to the European Commission, regarding what they described as long-standing violations by four coal power plants linked to Bulgarian businessman Hristo Kovachki. “Bulgarian institutions refuse to apply EU environmental law as intended, favoring coal owners over people and nature. This complaint provides evidence for the European Commission to initiate infringement procedures,” said environmental lawyer Regina Stoilova.

Alleged breaches from 2018 to 2023 concern thermal power plants Bobov Dol in Golemo Selo, Brikel in Galabovo, Republika in Pernik, and Maritsa 3 in Dimitrovgrad. The two groups said they exhausted all national-level mechanisms for holding the polluters accountable and protecting affected citizens and the environment.

The two groups have exhausted all legal mechanisms on the national level

Instead of enforcing environmental standards, Bulgarian institutions – including the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Executive Environmental Agency and regional environmental and water inspectorates – have repeatedly issued permits to offenders, imposed weak or ineffective fines, and ignored serious pollution events that threaten public health, the environmentalists added.

“These coal plants are shielded by an institutional network protecting Kovachki’s opaque coal business. Thousands of Bulgarians living under these chimneys continue to face rampant pollution with no accountability,” said Director of Greenpeace Bulgaria Meglena Antonova.

Penalties could have been millions of euros higher

Bulgarian courts have also failed to act, according to the statement. During the legal proceedings after Brikel and Maritsa 3 were temporarily closed in 2022, the plants continued operating for three years. In the said six-year period, Kovachki-linked plants avoided nearly EUR 2.5 million in penalties, , the organizations calculated and stressed that Brikel payed only EUR 3,300 in fines.

In official documents, the businessman holds no ownership in most of the firms that media outlets regularly link him to. Kovachki has only identified himself as a consultant in some of them. Investigative journalists have obtained documents indicating that he controls a group of companies through a holding called Orion, which he denied.

Violations include illegal wastewater discharge

The violations of the permits consisted of illegal emissions into the air, illegal discharge of wastewater into rivers, and use of prohibited fuels.

“In an attempt to reduce production costs, the coal power plants associated with Kovachki have systematically co-fired waste and biomass with coal without possessing the necessary permits. Even after obtaining the required permits, the operators have significantly exceeded the biomass limits specified in them,” reads a report accompanying the announcement.

Meanwhile, the power plants have gained millions from saved carbon emission allowances, the document adds. An analysis by Za Zemiata estimates the damages for the period 2017-2021 at EUR 75 million for five plants associated with Kovachki, four of which are the subject of the new complaint.

Attack on activist living near Bobov Dol

“Not only has there been no accountability, but activists are also facing aggression for speaking out. Over the weekend, Daniela Toneva, an activist opposing the Bobov Dol TPP coal plant, was attacked after speaking out about the plant’s severe pollution and the links between Hristo Kovachki and the chairman of the Bobov Dol Municipal Council Krasimir Chavraganski,” said Beyond Fossil Fuels, a partner organization.

Namely, someone spilled paint on Toneva’s car and broke her window with a stone they threw into the house. She told Svobodna Evropa (RFE/RL) that local authorities are hostile to her because of her activism. The firm operating the nearby Bobov Dol facility condemned the attack.

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September 10, 2025
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Croatia installs one million smart meters, Serbia reaches 650,000

Croatia has so far installed one million smart meters, while Serbia has reached 650,000. They make up 40% of all power metering devices in Croatia, compared to a 17% level in Serbia.

Digital or smart meters offer numerous advantages for consumers and distribution system operators (DSOs). The devices are a cornerstone of future distribution networks – smart grids that will allow consumers, including many prosumers, to both draw electricity from the network and inject it. Smart grids also enable consumers to provide various flexibility and demand response services.

The smart meters rollout in Croatia is being implemented across the country, with about 40,000 new devices installed per month. Croatia’s DSO HEP-Operator Distribucijskog Sustava (HEP ODS), a subsidiary of state-owned power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP), has previously announced that it intends to replace all 2.5 million devices by the end of 2029.

Nearly all users in the business category have received new devices

Installation of new meters is completely free of charge for customers. It takes about twenty minutes. HEP underlined that smart meters offer a range of benefits – enabling simpler and remote reading of consumption, more precise consumption management, better planning, and savings.

Danijela Žaja, chief of the metering and market support sector of HEP ODS, told RTL that more than one million smart meters have been installed so far for households and firms. In the business category, almost all meters have already been replaced, she said, Poslovni Dnevnik reported.

In her words, new devices help consumption management.

Serbia is financing new meters with loans

According to Ana Pavlović, head of the electricity markets support sector of neighboring Serbia’s DSO Elektrodistribucija Srbije (EDS), so far the company has installed almost 650,000 smart meters.

EDS plans to set up another 200,000 units in the next round, financed by a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), she said at a conference organized by Energija Balkana.

Out of the 200,000 meters, the cities of Čačak and Kraljevo are earmarked for 30,000 each, and 140,000 are for consumers in Niš. The next project is the installation of 400,000 smart meters, to be financed by a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Niš will be one of the first cities in Serbia to be almost entirely covered by smart meters, Pavlović stressed, as quoted by Tanjug.

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September 10, 2025
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Turkey launches solar, wind power auctions with November deadlines

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey issued a public call for solar and wind power auctions for 2 GW in total. It will receive the applications on November 4 and November 18, respectively. One competitive bidding process is for a floating solar power project of 35 MW.

Following the successful auctions for renewable energy projects that were completed early this year, Turkey kicked off another round. It is also for 2 GW of overall connection capacity, in light of the country’s ambition to grow its combined solar and wind power capacity to 120 GW by 2035. The two technologies reached 37.1 GW together a month ago, out of 120.2 GW in total.

Auctions are held under the Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) state support mechanism. The scheme is better known by its Turkish acronym YEKA.

Ten solar power areas in eight provinces

The upcoming solar energy auctions, REZ SPP 2025 (YEKA GES 2025), are for 850 MW altogether. There are ten areas in eight provinces designated for bidding: Kahramanmaraş, Mardin and Van, with 40 MW each, Bolu and Elazığ (50 MW each), Erzurum 1-3 (100 MW, 150 MW and 85 MW), Eskişehir (260 MW) and Demirköprü in Manisa province, with 35 MW.

The upcoming solar power auctions will include Turkey’s first bidding for a floating photovoltaic plant

Notably, the last one is for a planned floating solar power plant on the reservoir of the Demirköprü hydropower plant. The facility on the Gediz river, east of Izmir, is owned by state-owned Electricity Generation Corp. (EÜAŞ). Turkey now hosts only two small floating photovoltaic units, and the auction will be the first of its kind.

Applications will be received on November 4, the ministry said and added it would subsequently publish a schedule for bidding.

Wind power capacity quota is 1.15 GW

Participants can apply on November 18 for the wind energy round of auctions, REZ WPP 2025 (YEKA RES 2025). It is for an overall 1.15 GW in six areas.

Investors will compete for 500 MW in Sivas province, a 140 MW project in Aydın and Denizli, 120 MW in Kütahya and three areas in Balıkesir – 160 MW, 120 MW and 110 MW.

Winners to submit guarantees of EUR 75,000 per MW for PV projects, EUR 100,000 per MW for wind

Potential bidders will pay a fee of EUR 1,550 for each auction they apply for. They must submit letters of guarantee lasting one year and worth EUR 15,000 per MW for photovoltaics and EUR 20,000 per MW for wind power. Winners will submit 10-year guarantees before signing their contracts: EUR 75,000 per MW and EUR 100,000 per MW, respectively.

The ceiling or starting price is EUR 55 per MWh and the floor prices are EUR 32.5 per MWh for solar power and EUR 35 per MWh for wind. If bids hit the floor, another auction will be held between the competitors, like in the previous round. It is for a so-called contribution share that they are ready to pay. The minimum is EUR 10,000 per MW of planned capacity and the highest bid wins.

Successful participants can sell electricity on the free market for five years in the case of solar power plants, while the period lasts six years for wind. After that, both categories enter a 20-year scheme with a guaranteed price.

Turkey tops 120 GW in total electricity capacity

At the end of July, electricity capacity in Turkey totaled 120.2 GW, the ministry revealed. Hydropower accounted for 26.9% or 32.3 GW, compared to 23.4 GW in photovoltaics (19.5%) and 13.7 GW of wind power, translating to 11.4%.

The share of biofuel and waste was 1.9%, with 2.34 GW, and geothermal power plants had 1.73 GW altogether, which is 1.4%. Gas power plants in Turkey had 24.7 GW in combined capacity (20.6%). The remainder is coal: 21.9 GW or 18.3%.

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September 10, 2025
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Uncertain future of Greece-Cyprus Great Sea Interconnector project

Greece and Cyprus find themselves at odds when it comes to Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), their big project for a subsea electricity cable. A new investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) further complicates things.

Great Sea Interconnector is an envisaged 1,208-kilometer power line that would connect Crete, Cyprus and Israel. Planned for 1,000 MW in capacity and doubled later, the link would provide energy security and lower energy costs for Cypriot consumers, who currently pay the highest wholesale prices in Europe. Cyprus has also been plagued by very high curtailments and rolling blackouts, meaning that a solution is needed urgently.

The EUR 1.9 billion project benefits from a EUR 657 million funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), for the Greece-Cyprus section. It is also included in the Projects of Common Interest (PCI) list.

Currently, GSI is at the stage of bathymetric surveys in the offshore region between Greece and Cyprus. Italian ships were hired, but they were stopped last year by Turkish naval forces near the island of Kasos, east of Crete. This year, the Greek government appeared ready to reinitiate the surveys, this time with military escort, but in recent days, the government in Nicosia raised new concerns.

Cyprus raises cost issues

Statements by the two governments revealed diverging views about GSI. Cyprus has raised the issue of economic viability, with Minister of Finance Makis Keravnos maintaining a hard line and saying that it is not evident whether the interconnection would benefit his country.

“No one knows how much it will cost consumers and when the project will be completed,” said Keravnos.

Greece responded by reminding the decision makers in Nicosia that an agreement was signed last year, specifying that Cyprus needs to pay EUR 25 million annually to the project promoter, the Greek Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO or ADMIE). The first payment is expected this year, if the project is to continue.

IPTO has said that without the remaining decrees from Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA or RAEK), it would stop paying Nexans, the French company in charge of building the cable. At that point, the interconnector project freezes.

Essentially, Greece wants Cyprus to pay before it moves ahead with new surveys around Kasos, which could trigger a military showdown with Turkey. On the other hand, the government in Nicosia wants Greece to complete the surveys before providing the money, thus removing any geopolitical risk.

Mitsotakis: Cyprus must show it wants the project

“Cyprus is the primary beneficiary of this project, therefore it must show its commitment,” said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Things have been further complicated by EPPO’s new investigation. According to leaks in the Cypriot press, the administration in Brussels is looking into potential mismanagement when EuroAsia Interconnector was the project promoter, before IPTO took over.

Geopolitics at the epicenter

However, the elephant in the room is the geopolitical issue. Greece and Cyprus have delimited their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the waters between them, in line with international law. However, they haven’t signed a bilateral demarcation agreement.

Turkey, on the other hand, laid a claim over the marine region. It is one of the few countries that have not signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In 2022 it signed an EEZ agreement with Libya to solidify its claims, which Greece, Cyprus and the European Union have called illegal.

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September 10, 2025
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Romania preparing to include biomethane in gas grid

Romania has drafted a directive that would regulate the production, transportation and distribution of biomethane and its inclusion into the gas network. The change is aimed at limiting the increase in the prices of gas for household heating, expected from the upcoming introduction of the ETS 2 carbon allowance scheme in the European Union. Delaying the shift would also affect the costs of industrial production and for other non-household consumers of gas.

Biomethane produced from sustainable sources is carbon neutral under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), making it appropriate for buildings and transportation, the Romanian Ministry of Energy said in a new draft emergency ordinance. With the executive order, it intends to pave the way for utilizing the renewable fuel in the natural gas network, Profit.ro reported.

The document is set to amend several acts and regulate the production, transportation and distribution of biomethane. It would counter, to an extent, the increase in gas prices for households, which is expected from the expansion of the EU’s carbon pricing scheme to buildings and transportation, the ministry explained. Namely, ETS 2 is scheduled to be introduced in 2027.

Biomethane is usually obtained by processing biogas to get methane of the same purity as in fossil gas

Any delay in allowing biomethane in the existing grid draws a risk of increasing the costs of natural gas consumption, both for non-household and household customers, the accompanying note reads.

Biomethane is usually obtained by processing biogas to get methane of the same purity as in fossil gas. The gaseous biofuel can also be produced from clean hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The EU allows incentives for biomethane facilities. Some countries in Southeastern Europe, like Greece, are developing the legal framework for embracing the technology within their energy transition.

Share in gas network planned to reach 10% by 2050

Romania is planning a 5% share of biomethane in its natural gas network in 2030 and to double it by mid-century. The sectors of waste management and agriculture can produce an estimated 501,000 tons of oil equivalent in 2050.

The EU is imposing strict requirements on the removal of biodegradable organic matter from wastewater and the reduction of food waste, the ministry noted. Together with agricultural and organic municipal waste, they are the main raw materials for the production of biogas.

According to the proposal, publicly announced business plans can secure a share of renewable gases in the grid up to 1.5%. However, without an urgent legislative intervention, the investments can’t materialize, the Ministry of Energy warned. The draft directive would update the definitions of guarantees of origin, biogas, biomethane, natural gas, renewable gases and biomethane producers.

BSOG Energy, Engie Romania at forefront of upcoming biomethane investment wave

As for other developments in the segment, BSOG Energy (BSOGE), a subsidiary of Black Sea Oil and Gas, recently hired industrial services provider Bilfinger for a biomethane facility in Alba county in Transylvania.

Earlier, BSOGE said it would invest EUR 30 million in the construction of a biomethane plant. It has signed deals with milk producer DN Agrar Group for up to 15 MW in capacity, with the possibility of exceeding 20 MW in later stages.

In April, the firm partnered with Unigrains Trading in a project for a biomethane and organic fertilizer facility. They estimated the investment at EUR 65 million, for 57 MW of biomethane capacity and over 250,000 tons of organic fertilizers per year. Parent company BSOG is controlled by controlled by investment firm Carlyle.

Engie Romania launched plans a year ago with Heineken to build a biodigester for brewery waste

Last November, French-owned Engie Romania obtained the first license in the country for biogas and biomethane supply. Earlier it established a partnership with Heineken for decarbonization projects in three breweries in Romania, including heat pumps and one biodigestion system.

The firm is the largest supplier and distributor of natural gas in the country, as well as an electricity producer and supplier.

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