Blog – Full Width

  1. Home
  2. Blog – Full Width
August 28, 2025
by

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.

Post Views:31
August 27, 2025
by

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.

Post Views:95
August 27, 2025
by

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.

Post Views:60
August 27, 2025
by

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.

Post Views:40
August 27, 2025
by

First feed-in tariff auction in Federation of BiH draws strong interest

Ahead of a public call for the first auction for feed-in tariffs for solar power plants, the Federation of BiH’s renewable energy authority has launched a survey to assess interest among potential participants.

The auction covers feed-in tariffs (FIT) for small solar installations with an installed capacity of up to 150 kW, according to the Operator for Renewable Energy Sources and Efficient Cogeneration (Operator za OIEiEK).

The survey aims to estimate the number of applications for the upcoming auction and will run from August 22 to September 22.

The quotas for each technology and the amounts of electricity eligible for incentives are set in the decree on quotas for renewable energy sources and efficient cogeneration. The quota for the first auction is set at 12 MW of solar, of which 1.2 MW is reserved for renewable energy communities.

Under the Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources and Efficient Cogeneration and the auction rulebook, the first FIT auction is also open to all existing power plants that have not previously received any kind of incentive for electricity production, Operator za OIEiEK noted.

This, along with rising inquiries from investors and electricity producers, is one of the reasons for conducting the survey. Operator za OIEiEK added that its purpose is to gather information and that it will serve solely to estimate the potential number of applications.

The auction will be launched once the e-auction system is operational

Completing the survey doesn’t constitute an application to the public call, nor does it create any legal or formal obligation. Operator za OIEiEK encourages investors to participate in the survey by completing a six-question questionnaire.

Meanwhile, in Mostar, Operator za OIEiEK organized a roundtable to present the auction rulebook.

According to the rulebook, the auction will be conducted through an e-auction system.

Currently, the e-auction system is in the trial phase, with training underway for Operator za OIEiEK staff. Once the system is operational, a public call for the first FIT auction will be launched, according to Operator za OIEiEK.

 

Post Views:40
August 27, 2025
by

Bosnia and Herzegovina could set up power exchange in second half of 2026

Bosnia and Herzegovina is not expected to set up a power exchange before the second half of next year, according to economist Vjekoslav Domljan.

In April, after about ten years of discussions, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) finally finished drafting a bill on the electricity regulator, transmission, and power exchange. The regulation is a prerequisite for the country – the last in the Western Balkans – to establish a power exchange, but that does not mean that it will happen soon.

The Council of Ministers of BiH adopted the bill in July. However, the regulation has not yet reached the BiH parliament, economist and university professor Vjekoslav Domljan has told Dnevni avaz.

A power exchange is important for managing electricity surpluses and shortages

It is not certain the law will be passed by the end of the year, he said, adding that, at best, Bosnia and Herzegovina could set up a power exchange in the second half of next year.

He recalled that Croatia’s power exchange, CROPEX, was established in 2014, and Serbia’s SEEPEX in 2016, while Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo*, and North Macedonia followed suit two years ago. A power exchange, he explained, plays a key role in managing electricity surpluses and shortages and, based on supply and demand, in setting electricity prices.

Once an electricity exporter, BiH is becoming an importer

Domljan is convinced that Bosnia and Herzegovina will need foreign assistance to establish a power exchange, as was the case with setting up the Sarajevo exchange, SASE.

In his opinion, citizens will not benefit directly from the power exchange, but they could benefit indirectly. However, he stressed that this will only be possible if citizens are enabled to become prosumers and aggregators are allowed to pool their generation surpluses.

However, there are no prosumers in BiH – or rather, they exist in one political entity, the Republic of Srpska, but not in the other, the Federation of BiH, according to Domljan.

He pointed out that misguided policies are turning BiH from an electricity exporter into an importer. In the first six months of 2025, he added, the country imported four times as much electricity as it did in the same period of 2024.

Post Views:70