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September 9, 2025
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Serbia’s EPS plans to build 500 MW of wind farms with strategic partner

State-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and the Government of Serbia plan to develop a 500 MW wind farm project with a strategic partner, according to Aleksandar Latinović, Head of Ancillary Services at EPS. He also noted that a 1,000 MW solar power project is expected to be online by 2029.

The Energy Infrastructure Development Plan and Energy Efficiency Measures for the period through 2028 envisage the construction of wind farms with a capacity of up to 500 MW.

The project could be similar to the 1,000 MW solar power project with 200 MW battery energy storage systems (BESS) that Serbia is implementing with strategic partners Hyundai Engineering and UGT Renewables (UGTR).

During the presentation of EPS’s development projects at the Korea-Serbia Strategic Energy Development Forum, held in Belgrade, Aleksandar Latinović recalled that the recently built Kostolac B3 power plant, as well as the pumped storage hydropower plant Bistrica, will provide energy to balance the system.

Tenders for two solar power plants are expected next year

Increasing the balancing reserve, in his words, is crucial for integrating new renewable energy sources into the power system. He particularly highlighted the Bistrica project, noting that it will have the same energy storage capacity as all currently existing BESSs in Europe. According to Latinović, the plant is expected to be operational by 2031 or 2032.

Latinović also recalled that EPS recently inaugurated Petka, its first solar power plant on a coal tailings dump. Though a small project, it is significant because EPS owns several thousand hectares of similar tailings and ash dumps.

The solar power plants Kolubara A (78 MW) and Morava (42 MW) are in the development phase, with tenders expected to be announced next year. Meanwhile, the Klenovnik project (110 MW) is undergoing a review of its preliminary feasibility study.

The 1 GW solar project is expected to be connected to the grid by 2029

Regarding wind energy, the 66 MW Kostolac wind farm is scheduled to begin trial operations next month.

For other wind farm projects, EPS and the Serbian government plan a 500 MW project with a strategic partner, he noted, stressing that EPS is willing to acquire already developed, construction-ready projects.

Latinović recalled that the preparation of a spatial plan for the 1 GW solar power project is underway. Strategic partners have already begun preparing investment and technical documentation, and a grid connection agreement with transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) has been signed.

A shortage of balancing energy could be an issue

According to the project timeline, this project will be operational and connected to the grid within four years, Latinović noted.

He stressed that integrating new renewable energy sources into the power system could lead to a shortage of balancing reserves. It is also possible, in his words, that there will be an excess of electricity when a significant amount of renewable energy is produced.

For this reason, EPS has initiated a study to analyze the use of hydrogen and heat storage.

The main focus of this study will be optimizing surplus electricity from intermittent renewable energy sources, increasing the system’s balancing reserve, replacing fuel oil in coal power plants with hydrogen-based fuel, and substituting gas and coal in heat production, Latinović explained.

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September 9, 2025
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Europe’s wind installations in H1 2025 insufficient to meet EU’s 2030 targets – WindEurope

Europe installed 6.8 GW of new wind farms in the first six months of the year. According to WindEurope, it isn’t nearly enough to deliver the EU’s 2030 energy security and climate targets.

WindEurope has also reduced the 2025 outlook for wind investments. In its latest wind energy data for Europe, the organization highlighted the increase in turbine orders and investments as positive signals.

Out of 6.8 GW of new wind, 5.3 GW was in the European Union, and 89% was onshore wind. Europe now has a total of 291 GW of wind capacity – 254 GW on land and 37 GW at sea, according to the data.

In the first half of 2024, Europe installed 6.4 GW. To achieve the 2030 targets, the EU needs to install about 30 GW of wind power every year.

Germany is by far the most successful country in Europe. It is set to install 5 GW of onshore wind this year, nearly three times as much as it has been building over the last five years. WindEurope attributed the success to the fact that the country was the first to rigorously implement the EU’s excellent new permitting rules.

Germany permitted a record 15 GW of new onshore wind farms in 2024 and is on track to beat that in 2025, with 8 GW of onshore wind permits granted in the first half of 2025, the report revealed.

While on average German authorities grant permits within 18 months, none of the other 26 EU countries permits new wind farms within the REDIII deadline of 24 months. WindEurope highlighted slow expansion of electricity grids, stagnating efforts to electrify Europe’s economy, and suboptimal auction design as key obstacles for faster wind deployment.

Dickson: Governments must get their act together on wind energy

WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said that governments must get their act together on wind energy.

“Wind is competitive – it brings down electricity costs for citizens and businesses. Wind is secure – home-grown wind turbines reduce costly and dangerous dependencies on fossil fuel imports. And wind is good for the economy – it creates jobs and tax income. Around 400,000 people in Europe work in wind already, and each new wind turbine contributes €16m to Europe’s GDP. But Governments are still failing to get wind permitted and built fast enough,” Dickson noted.

The organization stressed that Europe will build less new wind capacity in 2025 than it previously expected. At the start of the year, WindEurope estimated new wind installations at 22.5 GW, and now at 19 GW. The forecast for the EU is lowered from 17 GW to 14.5 GW.

It expects the EU to have 344 GW of wind energy capacity by 2030, compared to the 2030 target of 425 GW.

Two bright spots

Two bright spots are wind turbine orders and investments in new wind farms. Europe took EUR 34 billion worth of final investment decisions (FIDs) in new wind farms with a total capacity of 14 GW in the first half of 2025. It represented more than the total FIDs in 2024.

The majority of investments are for offshore wind, with six new projects, three of which in Poland, including the country’s largest-ever private investment, according to WindEurope.

Wind turbine orders have increased 19% and reached 11.3 GW.

According to Dickson, less new wind is bad news for Europe’s wider competitiveness. Industry in Europe is craving cheap electricity to compete with China and the US, he stressed.

“But too many governments remain half-hearted in their expansion of wind. This is not only threatening the wind sector. It’s also jeopardizing jobs and growth more widely – in steel, chemicals, and ICT. Doing business in Europe is so much harder for them if the EU can’t deliver on its energy targets”, Dickson underlined.

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September 9, 2025
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EU mulls steps to prevent bypassing of CBAM

The European Commission plans to propose measures by the end of the year to prevent exporters to the European Union from avoiding the bloc’s carbon border tax.

Brussels fears exporters from third countries could ship low-emission goods to the EU, while selling high-carbon products in other markets, without reducing their overall emissions, Reuters reported.

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), set to come into force on January 1, 2026, will impose fees on the CO2 emissions of goods imported to the EU from countries without a carbon pricing scheme. The tax will cover cement, iron and steel, aluminum, fertilizers, electricity, and hydrogen.

The carbon border tax is expected to severely affect the EU’s neighbors, including the Western Balkan countries.

CBAM could be extended to other products

The European Commission is concerned that CBAM could be bypassed if foreign firms redirect their low-carbon products to Europe while still producing high-carbon goods for export to other markets. This way, they would avoid the EU’s carbon border tax without actually reducing their overall emissions.

To address the problem, the EU executive intends to propose extending CBAM to other products, a European Commission spokesperson has said, according to Reuters.

Imported goods could be given a fixed emissions value per country or per company

The Commission is also considering a system under which goods are given a fixed CO2 emissions value per country or per company rather than calculating specific emissions per shipment, Reuters reported, quoting an unnamed senior EU official.

According to the news agency, the official also hinted that Chinese exporters could potentially attempt to circumvent CBAM in this way.

Exporters from these countries are struggling to adjust to the new system, especially in the electricity sector, and have requested a postponement of CBAM.

However, the administration in Brussels is not willing to consider delaying its implementation date.

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September 9, 2025
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New generation of sodium-ion batteries developed in Estonia

A new generation of sodium-ion batteries, developed and manufactured in Estonia, offers a safer, more sustainable, and more affordable alternative to lithium-based energy storage systems. The newly developed batteries are modular and scalable, allowing them to meet the needs of a wide range of users — from homeowners and farmers to commercial and industrial operators.

Estonian company Freen OÜ has introduced a new generation of sodium-ion battery systems. Sodium-ion batteries are presented as an alternative to lithium-based systems. Unlike lithium, sodium is one of the most abundant and widely distributed resources on Earth.

In addition to the high cost of lithium, its mining and extraction from salt flats cause significant environmental damage and deplete water reserves. In contrast, sodium can be obtained more sustainably — most commonly through the electrolysis of common salt.

Unlike lithium batteries, which are prone to overheating, Freen OÜ’s technology ensures thermal stability for sodium-ion batteries, virtually eliminating the risk of fire or explosion. The company also highlights that, unlike lithium-based systems, Freen batteries are not subject to international transportation restrictions and are cobalt-free, making them a more environmentally friendly and geopolitically secure solution.

In addition to chemical safety, Freen emphasizes the practicality of its systems. The batteries feature integrated wheels for easy handling, and their plug-and-play installation makes setup fast and straightforward.

Freen battery systems have a wide range of applications

Their modular design makes them suitable for a wide range of applications, including energy-demanding households, remote farms, telecom infrastructure, commercial facilities, EV charging stations, the oil and gas sector, and public institutions such as schools and hospitals.

“The launch of sodium-ion batteries represents a major innovation in our portfolio, following the successful development of small wind turbines. These batteries stand out for their safety, versatility, and competitive pricing — and we are ready to collaborate with partners across all sectors to accelerate the energy transition”, said Andrey Khimenkov, CEO of Freen OÜ.

Freen has developed Freen-BSH, a high-voltage system capable of storing 10.08 kWh per module, and Freen-BSL, a low-voltage system with a capacity of 7.5 kWh per module.

Freen batteries can be recharged more than 5,000 times

Both systems support over 5,000 charging cycles, offering long service life, low maintenance, and high operational safety, even under extreme weather conditions.

“Whether used for energy independence, peak shaving, or as part of a hybrid renewable energy system, Freen’s solutions deliver efficiency and reliability across a variety of scenarios,” the company noted in its statement.

Freen also highlights the potential of its batteries in the Western Balkans, where several major initiatives are driving investments in renewable energy and energy storage.

Kosovo* recently announced a EUR 1.2 billion auction for renewables and storage — one of the largest in the region. In parallel, the European Union continues to fund the green transition through instruments such as the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) and the EU Growth Plan, providing grants and technical support for projects focused on renewable energy, storage, and grid flexibility.

These initiatives create opportunities for innovative solutions, such as Freen’s sodium-ion batteries, to become an integral part of the region’s evolving energy landscape.

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* This designation is without prejudice to positions onstatus and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
September 8, 2025
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EDF, Westinghouse complete technical feasibility studies for Krško 2 nuclear power plant

Three reactor projects offered by EDF and Westinghouse have been assessed as technically feasible for the site of the future Krško 2 nuclear power plant, according to technical feasibility studies presented by GEN Energija during the announcement of its 2024 results. GEN Group ended last year with a EUR 186 million profit, down 9% from 2023, when it posted a profit of EUR 204.5 million.

GEN Energija, the parent company of GEN Group, noted that the Krško 2 (JEK2) project is going ahead according to the previously confirmed timeline. In October 2024, Slovenia canceled a referendum on building the second nuclear unit.

In January, it was announced that Westinghouse Electric and EDF would conduct technical feasibility studies for the deployment of their reactor models.

In July, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning initiated the preparation of a spatial plan for the second unit of nuclear power plant Krško and invited the public to submit comments.

GEN Energija has now presented the results of the technical feasibility studies. The reactor projects – EDF’s EPR or EPR1200 and Westinghouse’s AP1000 – were found to be technically feasible for the JEK 2 site.

Planinc: Both technologies include cooling by a natural draft cooling tower

According to Vinko Planinc, head of GEN Energija’s New Nuclear Build Division, the studies confirm that the project enables safe and efficient installation within the existing environment, taking into account flood and earthquake protection requirements.

The expected operational lifespan of both proposed reactors is 60 years, but it could be extended to 80 years if conditions are met, he added.

The location will also allow for the appropriate storage of used nuclear fuel, as well as low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste. Both technologies, he said, use natural draft cooling towers – the most environmentally friendly solution, minimizing the impact on the Sava River and creating the smallest carbon footprint.

The estimated investment from the studies matches the amount in GEN Energija’s study presented in 2024, which projected that JEK 2 would cost at least EUR 9.3 billion for 1,000 MW.

The financing method significantly affects the project’s viability

Regarding an analysis of the JEK2 investment by NGO Mladi za Podnebno Pravičnost (Youth for Climate Justice), Jan Lokar, lead engineer at GEN Energija, said the company estimates the minimum electricity price needed for the project’s economic feasibility at EUR 70.2 per MWh, compared to the NGO’s estimate of EUR 107.

The differences arise primarily from varying assumptions about capital costs, he stressed. GEN Energija expects state support in financing, while the NGO estimate assumes private capital investment.

Paravan: 2024 results exceed planned targets

Photo: GEN Energija

GEN Energija CEO Dejan Paravan presented GEN Group’s business results for 2024. The group had revenues of EUR 2.2 billion, a net profit of EUR 186 million, and added value per employee of EUR 276,000, all exceeding the annual financial targets, he added.

“All our production units operated safely and without major interruptions, reflecting years of investment in knowledge, technology, and maintenance. The important role of GEN Group in Slovenia’s energy supply is confirmed by the fact that in 2024, we reliably supplied Slovenian consumers exclusively with low-carbon electricity at affordable and predictable prices,” Paravan noted.

Alongside the JEK2 project studies, the company said, a small modular reactor (SMR) study is underway, aiming to identify possible locations for this type of reactor in Slovenia.

Photo: GEN Energija
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September 8, 2025
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Wind installations in Greece remain low this year as new applications drop

WindEurope expects Greece to add 300 MW of wind capacity in 2025, after installing 152 MW during the first half of the year.

This is an improvement on the mere 108 MW added in 2024, but still far below previous years. For example, in 2023, the country added 544 MW of new wind farms.

According to the European wind industry association’s latest report, Greece is expected to install more wind farms from now on, with 490 MW in 2026 and 350-450 MW each year until 2030.

Cumulative installed capacity currently stands at 5,506 MW

Cumulative installed capacity currently stands at 5,506 MW and is projected to reach 7,480 MW by the end of this decade. This is not enough to meet the National Energy and Climate Plan’s (NECP) goal, which calls for 8,900 MW.

At the same time, WindEurope expects zero offshore installations, as efforts to develop this sector have been delayed despite a national goal of 1.9 GW by the beginning of the next decade.

The report also highlights that applications for new wind farms dropped 65% this year, from 618 MW to just 214 MW.

Support measures still absent

The Greek government has identified wind energy development as a priority from now on. Currently, the energy mix is dominated by photovoltaics, leading to high curtailments and an anomalous production curve.

The idea is to promote wind investments through regulatory changes, such as a higher priority in the connection queue. Furthermore, Greece must fully apply the European directive for a simpler licensing process. The European Commission recently announced that Greece would face referral to the European Court if it delays any further.

Recently, there have been cases of companies leaving the Greek market, which has raised concerns regarding investment profitability.

Therefore, there is much to be done for the sector in the coming months and years to reverse the course and increase installations.

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