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September 4, 2025
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Croatia identifies another city with geothermal potential for district heating

The testing of an exploratory well near the Croatian city of Osijek has confirmed the area’s geothermal potential, according to the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency.

This marks the second successful completion of exploratory activities within a broader project aimed at developing geothermal potential for district heating in Croatia. At the end of June, good news came from an exploration site in Velika Gorica.

The exploratory activities in Osijek have cost an estimated EUR 8 million, with the funding secured from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

Testing and measurements of the Osijek GT-1 (OsGT-1) well revealed a reservoir temperature exceeding 100 degrees Celsius, with an estimated thermal capacity of nearly 5 MW.

Temperatures are lower than in Velika Gorica

These results confirm that Osijek possesses significant geothermal resources with potential applications in district heating, agriculture, and the area’s economic development, according to the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency.

“Geothermal energy is one of the most stable renewable energy sources, and our research confirmed the substantial potential of reservoirs in the Pannonian Basin and a strategic opportunity for achieving long-term supply security and decarbonization of the energy system,” stressed Marijan Krpan, president of the agency’s management board.

Exploratory activities continue in other locations

Due to local geological specifics and the shallower depth of the reservoir, temperatures in Osijek are lower than those in Velika Gorica. The agency noted that although the geological conditions and reservoir depths differ between Velika Gorica and Osijek, geothermal energy is flexible enough to be adapted to local needs and used efficiently and sustainably.

According to Osijek’s mayor, Ivan Radić, geothermal energy is becoming a locally available and sustainable heating source not only for Osijek residents but also for businesses.

Following Osijek and Velika Gorica, exploratory activities will continue in Vinkovci, and later in Zaprešić. After completing all exploratory activities, additional wells are planned at sites with confirmed geothermal potential.

In addition to the state-funded activities, private companies such as ENNA Geo are also engaged in geothermal research.

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September 4, 2025
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Romanian prosumers propose measures to cut electricity bills by up to 60%

The Association of Energy Prosumers and Communities in Romania has called on the government to implement five measures that could swiftly reduce electricity bills.

The measures target both individual homes and multi-apartment buildings, and results could be visible in up to 12 months, according to the Association of Energy Prosumers and Communities (APCE).

The association pointed out that the measures are needed because consumers in Romania pay some of the highest energy prices in Europe.

The first measure is related to energy communities, as the country is lagging in implementing the relevant EU legislation. The association claims that the introduction of energy communities lowered energy bills in Spain by 60%.

The association called on the authorities to involve civil society in the lawmaking process

Such structures allow citizens to directly manage their energy production, distribution, and storage, achieving independence from traditional suppliers and producers, the APCE noted.

The association called on the authorities to involve civil society in the lawmaking process, and underlined that adoption could be completed in three months, with bill reductions within 3–12 months.

The second measure involves multi-apartment buildings. Through a simple legislative change, residents could become direct beneficiaries of solar energy produced on the roofs of their buildings, the APCE pointed out.

Romania could install up to 4,000 MW of rooftop solar on multi-apartment buildings

Romania, the association notes, could install up to 4,000 MW of solar power plants on 4,200 hectares of apartment building roofs. The proposed legislative changes could be adopted within three months, with results visible after 3–12 months.

Mini-PV systems for balconies have the potential to lower electricity bills by 60%, according to the APCE’s calculation. In Germany, over a million such systems have already been installed, leading to monthly bill reductions of more than 60%.

The association estimates that the legislation needed for their rollout could be adopted within 30 days, and results could be visible immediately after installation.

Tackling suppliers’ excessive profit margins

The regulation of the supply margin for energy produced by prosumers is the fourth proposed measure. The association said that in 2025, a surplus of almost 2 billion kWh of renewable energy would be injected into the grid by prosumers.

Romania’s regulator, ANRE, left it to suppliers to set their profit margins, resulting in high prices for electricity resold to consumers.

PACE calls for a clear regulation of the supply margin to ensure that electricity produced by prosumers reduces consumer bills.

Reducing transmission tariffs for the TSO

The estimated timeframe is up to three months for the measure to be adopted, with visible reductions in bills expected immediately after implementation.

The final measure is a reduction of transmission tariffs for the transmission system operator (TSO) Transelectrica.

Even though the TSO does not transport prosumers’ surplus electricity, it still charges them for the service. It collected over EUR 18 million in 2024, the APCE claims, adding that the figure for 2025 is estimated to be EUR 35 million.

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September 2, 2025
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Climate won’t suffer if Romanian coal power plants keep running – energy minister

The Romanian government is in talks on postponing the coal power plant closures envisaged under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), according to Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan. The current deadline for decommissioning these plants is the end of 2025, but Romania is hoping to push it back to 2030.

Ivan noted that Romania’s gas and coal power generation has dropped by 56% over the past decade, with around 7,000 MW of capacity closed and only 1,200 MW replaced.

“Now I am convinced that the world’s climate will not suffer so much if Romania continues to keep its coal-fired power plants in the Jiu Valley,” the minister said, according to Profit.ro.

Ivan: Keeping the Jiu Valley coal power plants operational will not hurt the global climate

He also stressed that Romania has pursued the most aggressive decarbonization policy in the European Union, choosing 2025 as a deadline to eliminate coal-fired electricity generation, compared to Poland or Germany, which intend to use coal until 2040–2050.

Ivan explained that wind and solar capacity in Romania has been growing, but that the country needs more battery storage to better utilize its output.

Romania needs more battery storage for the growing wind and solar capacities

Romania’s former energy minister, Sebastian Burduja, said earlier this year that the country intended to extend the operation of coal-fired power plants because there was no other option to ensure energy security and replace existing capacities.

He said in January that the operating period of coal-fired power plants was expected to be extended by three years.

According to earlier reports, Romania intends to stop coal mining by 2032 at the latest, while replacing conventional power plants in the meantime. Romania’s largest producer of coal-based electricity is state-owned power utility CE Oltenia, based in Târgu Jiu. It is also the country’s third-largest producer of electricity.

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September 2, 2025
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US firm Aalo starts construction of its first extra-modular nuclear reactor

US-based nuclear power startup Aalo has begun construction on its first extra-modular reactor, a type of modular reactor, in Idaho. The company is among 11 developers of micro and small modular reactors selected by the US Department of Energy to participate in its Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program.

Aalo stated that its reactor will mark a significant milestone, becoming the first new sodium-cooled test reactor in the United States to go critical in over forty years—an achievement that builds on its selection for the Department of Energy’s pilot program.

The company noted that the lessons learned from manufacturing, shipping, installing, and licensing Aalo‑X will influence whether advanced reactors like the Aalo Pods can truly be produced at scale.

DOE’s aims to reach criticality for at least three advanced nuclear reactor concepts by July 4, 2026

“Within months, we will have assembled the first XMR at our Idaho site; by July 4, 2026, we will reach criticality, and by July 2027, we will power a collocated datacenter, with next-generation AI chips. Once operational, Aalo‑X will be a tangible proof‑of‑concept that nuclear energy can power the AI revolution rapidly and cost‑effectively,” the firm said in a press release.

Photo: Aalo

DOE’s Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program aims to reach criticality for at least three advanced nuclear reactor concepts located outside of the national laboratories by July 4, 2026.

Groundbreaking in the desert beside Idaho National Laboratory (INL) ensures that Aalo‑X will meet that mandate, the firm said.

According to Aalo, traditional categories of microreactors (<10 MWe) and small modular reactors (SMRs, up to ~300 MWe) leave a gap between tiny reactors that can be delivered to remote sites and larger units that supply cities.

Introducing the first XMR

“We created the extra‑modular reactor (XMR) to fill that gap. It’s a category of modular reactors that is a crossover between microreactors and SMRs. Our product is an Aalo Pod that contains five 10 MWe Aalo‑1 reactors arranged around a single turbine; the resulting 50 MWe plant is purpose-built for power‑hungry data centers,” according to the press release.

The concept of SMR has been gaining traction worldwide for quite a while, as part of a nuclear energy renaissance. However, overall progress in the sector has been modest.

The world’s first SMR-based facility, Russia’s floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov, commissioned in Chukotka in 2020, remains the only one in commercial operation.

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September 2, 2025
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Japan inaugurates world’s second osmotic power plant

Japan’s first osmotic power plant began operations in early August. The facility in Fukuoka harnesses the natural process of osmosis.

Operated by the Fukuoka District Waterworks Agency, this is only the second such commercial plant in the world, according to Science Japan. The first plant, commissioned by Danish firm SaltPower in 2023, is located in Mariager, Denmark.

The agency estimates the plant will generate 880,000 kilowatt-hours annually. The electricity will be used to power a local desalination facility, providing a sustainable energy source for the region’s freshwater supply.

A next-generation renewable energy source unaffected by weather or time of day

It is “a next-generation renewable energy source that is not affected by weather or time of day and emits no carbon dioxide,” according to the Fukuoka District Waterworks Agency.

The facility utilizes the salinity difference between fresh and saltwater to generate energy. This difference causes water to move across a semipermeable membrane from freshwater to saltwater, balancing the concentration on both sides.

Electricity is produced by using a permeable membrane to separate concentrated seawater from treated freshwater sourced from a local sewage treatment facility. The membrane allows only water molecules to pass through it.

Expert: This successful implementation is a major achievement

The pressure created as freshwater moves through the membrane toward the saltwater side spins a turbine, which in turn powers a generator to produce electricity.

According to Akihiko Tanioka, an expert in the field, this successful implementation is a major achievement. He hopes it will be replicated globally.

Apart from the two osmotic power plants in Japan and Denmark, pilot-scale projects and prototypes are being implemented in Norway, South Korea, Australia, Spain, and Qatar, according to a report by the Guardian.

The Japanese plant marks an exciting moment for osmotic power, because it offers further proof that the technology can be used for large-scale energy production, according to the news outlet.

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September 1, 2025
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Reverse energy flows turn Slovenian distributors into power producers

On May 1 and 2 this year, for the first time ever, five Slovenian power distribution companies fed more electricity into the transmission network than they drew from it. This shift is creating challenges for distribution grid operators while also highlighting the core reality of the energy transition.

Indeed, the circumstances were extraordinary during the first two days of May, writes Slovenia’s Naš stik. The weather was clear, but not warm enough for people to use air conditioners, while solar power plants connected to the distribution grid were generating electricity at nearly full capacity.

Industrial plants were not working due to the holiday, and many people were away from home, so electricity consumption from the transmission network fell sharply, reaching only 150 MW between 12 and 1 p.m. In winter, peak hourly consumption reaches around 2,200 MW.

Pumped storage hydropower plant Avče was operating at full capacity

Pumped storage hydropower plant Avče was operating at full capacity, receiving 157 MW from the transmission network. All Slovenian power distribution companies supplied more electricity to the transmission network than they received from it.

Elektro Ljubljana and Elektro Primorska drew energy from the transmission grid, but Elektro Maribor, Elektro Celje, and Elektro Gorenjska delivered significant amounts, resulting in a negative overall balance.

For four hours, the distribution network was a net electricity producer

The distribution network as a whole was a net producer of electricity for four hours on May 1, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. On the same day last year, the minimum hourly load of the transmission network was 770 MW, and power distribution companies drew 450-500 MW from the grid. The same thing happened on May 2.

It is worth noting that the total capacity of solar power plants in Slovenia is 1.4 GW, half of which was installed in 2023 and 2024, with the largest part connected to the distribution grid. The overall electricity generation capacity in Slovenia is 7.47 GW.

Managing voltage profiles on the grid poses the greatest challenge

The most pronounced change in energy flows was recorded at Elektro Celje. Boštjan Turinek, director of operations and development, said that a reverse flow of energy from the distribution network to the transmission network was first recorded in July 2022. At that time, the amount was minimal, around 4 MW.

However, in 2023, the reverse flow reached 40 MW, and this year it has already hit 100 MW. The biggest challenge, he explains, is managing voltage profiles on the grid.

The distribution network was built for one-way “traffic” – toward the end user – with the highest voltage at substations and the lowest at end consumers. The mass integration of distributed energy sources has disrupted these voltage profiles, Turinek stressed.

Distributed power plants like emergency vehicles

Ordinary consumers usually don’t notice this – perhaps only a slightly shortened lifespan of their LED bulbs, he said. However, according to him, solar power plant owners often experience automatic inverter shutdowns caused by overvoltage.

Besides holidays, changes in energy flows also occur during collective shutdowns of Slovenian industrial plants during the summer and spring breaks. If the weather is sunny at that time, the output from distributed energy sources is very high.

Turinek recalls that distributed power plants have been granted the same rights as emergency vehicles, so their output always takes priority, regardless of the state of the grid.

If the power system is to be properly managed, he adds, these plants should be placed on an equal footing with all others.

The net metering system for prosumers has had many positive effects, but it has also created numerous problems, Turinek concluded.

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