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August 28, 2025
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Smart meters, wildfires, rising demand push Greek distribution grid investment plan to EUR 4.8 billion

In recent years, Greece has been experiencing extreme weather events, such as wildfires and floods, which have threatened its electricity distribution network.

Due to this new reality, caused by climate change, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) has increased its five-year development plan for 2026-2030 to EUR 4.79 billion, around 60% up compared to EUR 3 billion allocated for 2024-2028.

The plan for the 2022-2026 period was EUR 2.2 billion.

The goal is for HEDNO to reinforce the grid against these threats and ensure its pylons do not cause wildfires as easily. Moreover, Greece has been lagging behind the European Union when it comes to smart meter penetration, and it must make fast progress in the coming years.

HEDNO has included a total of 204 projects in the new five-year plan

There is also an increased need for new user connections as a result of rising demand and the ever-present need for connecting new renewable energy plants.

To achieve these goals, HEDNO has included a total of 204 projects in the new five-year plan. Smart meters will cost EUR 1.4 billion, compared to EUR 784 million in the previous plan, so as to address the problem of power theft, which has increased in recent years, and to enable dynamic pricing in the retail market.

More specifically, EUR 195 million will be invested in 2026, followed by EUR 260-270 million in the following three years and EUR 357 million in 2030.

New user connections will cost EUR 800 million

The network reinforcement will cost EUR 991 million (EUR 608 million previously), while EUR 650 million will be spent on replacing existing lines (up from EUR 619 million). This includes projects such as underground power lines and underwater connections, as well as a focus on the protection of forests.

New user connections will cost EUR 800 million to cover the projected demand from industry, ports, data centers, and other consumers. HEDNO’s plan also includes EUR 223 million for the grid control and management.

The operator said that contracting and equipment costs have risen in recent years, affecting the size of the new five-year plan.

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August 28, 2025
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Croatia pauses applications for residential solar subsidies

High interest among Croatian citizens in subsidies for installing solar power plants for self-consumption has prompted the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund to pause the application process.

The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund (FZOEU) has announced that it will temporarily close the ongoing public call for incentives to install photovoltaic plants in family homes, which was opened on June 6. In just over two months, about 4,100 project applications have been received and are currently being processed, the FZOEU noted.

By mid-last year, 21,000 rooftop PV systems at households and businesses, with a total capacity of 642 MW, had been connected to the distribution network.

The large number of applications confirms that investing in renewables is a financially sound long-term decision

According to the FZOEU, the financing program encourages citizens to use renewable energy sources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the energy independence of households.

The strong interest in this program demonstrates that citizens are taking the energy transition more seriously and want to actively participate in producing green energy, the fund claims.

With subsidies, solar installations become more accessible to the general public, and the high volume of applications confirms that investing in renewable energy sources is a financially sound long-term decision for households, FZOEU added.

Citizens can receive up to 50% of eligible costs

Only individuals—owners or co-owners of houses—who had residency at the address at the time the power plant was commissioned were eligible to apply. The fund co-finances facilities installed and commissioned from January 1, 2025, and citizens can receive up to 50% of the eligible costs, or up to EUR 600 per kW of installed power capacity.

Depending on available funds and the success rate of applications, the FZOEU will consider the possibility of relaunching the call for future prosumers.

Over the past two years, the fund has co-financed the installation of around 5,600 rooftop solar power plants in households.

In the first six months of last year alone, households and companies installed 5,504 PV facilities, according to data from Croatia’s distribution system operator, HEP-Operator Distribucijskog Sustava (HEP-ODS).

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August 28, 2025
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Bulgaria opens public consultation on subsidies for 1.9 GWh of battery projects

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Energy has launched a public consultation on a new round of its subsidy program for battery energy storage projects, aimed at facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources. The plan is to support the deployment of 1.9 GWh of new battery capacity with around EUR 118 million.

In the first round of the National Infrastructure for Storage of Electricity from Renewable Sources (RESTORE) program, Bulgaria approved EUR 587 million in subsidies for 82 battery energy storage system (BESS) projects totaling 9.71 GWh, with another 30 applicants falling below the threshold.

Draft application and implementation documents for RESTORE 2 will be available for comments and proposals until September 15, while a tentative date for inviting applications for grants is September 18.

The BESS systems are expected to be deployed throughout the country and connected to the transmission network or the distribution grid. A BESS system must have a minimum nominal AC capacity of 10 MW to qualify for the program.

The minimum required capacity is 10 MW

The maximum support is 50% of the eligible project costs, but not more than BGN 156,466 (EUR 80,000) per 1 MWh of usable energy capacity, according to the documents. In the previous round, the maximum support per 1 MWh was BGN 148,600 (around EUR 76,000), Economic.bg recalled.

The deadline to build and commission the BESS capacities is July 31, 2026. The battery systems selected in the first part of the program must come online by the end of March 2026.

The new round of RESTORE aims to finance projects in more advanced stages

Another difference from the previous call is that proposed projects must be in a much more advanced stage. In addition to a connection agreement, applicants must already have a construction permit or installation permit issued, a signed supply contract or orders and payments made for the equipment for the storage system, as well as secured financing for the investment, according to the draft documents.

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August 27, 2025
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Serbia’s power utility to take no loans in 2025, fund coal projects on its own

For the first time, Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) will not take out loans this year, but will finance all investments from its own resources, according to General Manager Dušan Živković. However, it has affected the financial performance of Serbia’s state-owned power utility, with profit in the first half of 2025 coming in lower than in the same period last year.

One of the major investments underway is in coal mining, including the construction of several systems needed to enable the opening of the Radljevo open pit mine in the Kolubara mining basin. However, since financial institutions are unwilling to finance fossil fuels, EPS must rely entirely on its own funds, Živković told national broadcaster RTS.

EPS is financing the coal mine on its own, as financial institutions are unwilling to invest in fossil fuels

To ensure sufficient coal supplies, EPS has contracted imports from Indonesia, which Živković explained as a strategy to diversify sources. He described it as the best way to ensure the security of supply.

He said that the installation of machinery at Radljevo is underway and that EPS expects the mine to start producing overburden and coal early next year.

EPS posted a RSD 27.4 billion (EUR 233.8 million) profit in the first half of 2025, compared to RSD 32.8 billion (EUR 280.3 million) in the same period last year.

Kostolac wind farm set to begin operation

Speaking about other key projects, Živković revealed that the commissioning of the 66 MW Kostolac wind power plant is in the final phase and expressed hope that electricity production would begin within a month. He also recalled that the 10 MW Petka solar power plant, built at the tailings dump in the Kostolac coal complex, was put into trial operation about a month ago.

He also said pumped storage hydropower plant Bistrica and the planned 1 GW of solar facilities could come online in the medium term.

Commenting on the announced 7% electricity price increase in October, Živković stressed the process has been initiated and that he expects it to be completed within one to one-and-a-half months.

Electricity consumption during the summer is lower than last year

On the surge in electricity consumption during the summer months, he said the situation this year has been “calmer” than in 2024, with consumption at around 90 GWh, compared to 114 GWh in 2024. It means total demand can be covered from EPS’s own capacities, according to him.

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August 27, 2025
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Greece raises fines for power theft

Power theft has become a major issue for the Greek electricity market in recent years. The government has been increasing fines for offenders.

The combined damage from power theft and network losses in distribution amounted to EUR 100 million per month in 2022, with 18% of the supplied energy being lost as a result of power theft or network losses in distribution.

It compared to an average loss of 8% in the European Union, meaning that lawful Greek consumers took a heavy burden through their bills.

Suppliers: HEDNO must shoulder power theft cost

For 2025, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) estimates that losses will reach 11.08%. However, actual ones are believed to be much higher, as the initial numbers for previous years had to be revised retroactively.

Electricity suppliers have warned of severe consequences for the entire market if the problem is not solved. The Hellenic Association of Energy Suppliers (ESPEN) has asked for HEDNO to shoulder the initial cost of power theft, instead of them, to be motivated to reduce it.

Smart meters and fines to provide solution

In order to address power theft, the Ministry of Environment and Energy lifted fines a few months ago. Instead of 70%, offenders pay 100% more than the reference price for their category. The baseline is an average of the previous six months. Vulnerable consumers are fined 50% more than the reference price.

Based on the last update by the Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAEWW or RAAEY), an offender with a household connection will pay 49.45 eurocents per kilowatt-hour, up from 47.22 eurocents, while the tariff for businesses is 56.42 eurocents. It rose from 54.21 eurocents per kilowatt-hour.

The levels are revised every six months, taking into account the total cost of supply for each category, including taxes and network charges.

The ministry also counts on smart meters, since they significantly reduce opportunities for power theft. Greece has lagged behind all other European countries in smart meters. HEDNO finally began mass installation this year, expected to reach one million devices annually from 2026 onwards.

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August 27, 2025
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CE Oltenia to set up subsidiary to take over coal power plants slated for closure

Romanian state-controlled coal power utility Complexul Energetic Oltenia (CE Oltenia) is preparing to establish a subsidiary to take over its lignite-fired thermal power plants slated for closure and the coal mining operations that supply them.

CE Oltenia’s “lignite subsidiary” is envisaged under a restructuring and decarbonization plan approved by the European Commission, according to Profit.ro.

The subsidiary will incorporate and operate the existing lignite-based power generation units and related assets that are not planned to switch to natural gas or renewable energy sources, according to the European Commission’s decision from 2022 approving state aid for CE Oltenia’s restructuring.

The state aid Romania planned to grant CE Oltenia amounted to EUR 2.66 billion.

The subsidiary will operate coal-fired plants that are not planned to switch to gas or renewables

CE Oltenia’s decision to start the separation of lignite-related activities into a separate subsidiary was adopted as early as 2023, but nothing has been done since then.

Now, the company has launched a procedure to select a consultant and intends to award a contract by winter, with a deadline of about six months for the delivery of services.

The new firm is to be created before the end of CE Oltenia’s restructuring period, i.e. before the end of 2026, according to the commission’s decision. It further states that the lignite capacities in question should decrease over time and eventually be phased out, in accordance with the national coal phase-out timetable.

CE Oltenia is building 550 MW of solar power plants at former coal mines

Earlier this year, a joint venture between CE Oltenia and oil and gas company OMV Petrom signed an agreement with contractors to design and install four solar power plants at former coal mines, with a combined capacity of about 550 MW.

According to Profit.ro, Romanian Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan said last month that Romania was in talks with Brussels on a 5-year postponement of the deadline for closing lignite-fired power plants, envisaged by the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

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