Blog – Full Width

  1. Home
  2. Blog – Full Width
August 18, 2025
by

North Macedonia’s draft law envisages renewable energy auctions for CfDs

North Macedonia drafted the Law on the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources to facilitate a decrease in fossil fuel consumption and a rise in the share of green energy. The legislation introduces market premiums under two-way contracts for difference (CfDs), which would be approved through renewable energy auctions. It also regulates net metering and net billing for prosumers and defines renewable energy communities.

The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Minerals of North Macedonia called on citizens, experts and stakeholders to submit opinions and proposals for the draft Law on the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources. It will regulate the segment separately for the first time, “following the example of a large number of countries in the region and the EU,” the statement adds.

The public debate lasts until August 30. According to the ministry, the most significant novelty is the two-way contract for difference (CfD). It is defined in Macedonian as contract for market settlement of the price difference. The bill envisages awarding such market premiums through renewable energy auctions.

It is a mechanism that guarantees financial stability for renewable energy producers and protects consumers from extreme price fluctuations, the ministry argued. The draft is fully aligned with the European Union’s energy legislation including the Renewable Energy Directive (RED3), the update adds.

Basis for renewables deployment in heating, cooling, transportation

The proposed measures aim to lower the use of fossil fuels and grow the share of renewables in gross energy consumption, the ministry added. They facilitate support for long-term investments and faster deployment of renewable energy in heating, cooling and transportation, it underscored.

Guarantees of origin of electricity are included in the bill, together with a framework for international cooperation and energy markets.

The draft establishes the basis for the establishment of renewable energy communities of citizens and companies and other legal entities such as local authorities. The scope also involves net metering and net billing for prosumers – “consumers-producers.”

Multiapartment structures can become prosumers with units up to 50 kW

While the ministry earlier said it would raise the upper capacity limit for prosumers in the segment of households to 10 kW, the ceiling in the draft law is 10.8 kW for individual homes and 50 kW for multiapartment structures. The draft also introduces the collective prosumer, a group of citizens and commercial entities residing in the same building or apartment complex.

Prosumers with units up to 16 kW would be in the net metering mechanism. Net billing is for 16 kW to 50 kW, and larger facilities are envisaged for a commercial supply scheme.

Notably, prosumers operating power plants of over 300 kW are obligated to cover the balancing expenses, the text reads.

Post Views:145
August 16, 2025
by

Đedović Handanović discusses Serbia’s nuclear power plan with Russian ambassador

Russia is interested in cooperating with Serbia in the nuclear energy sector. According to the authorities, the country is still a long way away from the potential construction of a nuclear power plant.

Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia Dubravka Đedović Handanović met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko to discuss joint projects and initiatives in the energy sector. The topics included nuclear energy, natural gas and oil.

Ambassador Botsan-Kharchenko said the Russian Federation is interested in establishing cooperation with Serbia in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Minister Đedović Handanović stressed that the preliminary technical study on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Serbia has been completed.

The next steps in the development process have been defined, while the potential construction of a nuclear power plant remains a long way away, she stressed.

Serbia is ready to cooperate with relevant partners

She reiterated that Serbia respects the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which are also incorporated in the country’s legal framework.

“We are currently discussing the necessary studies that would allow us, at least five years from now, to discuss the potential construction of a nuclear power plant,” she underscored.

Đedović Handanović pointed out that Serbia needs technical assistance, knowledge exchange, and capacity building to create the staff that would be capable of managing a power plant in the future. The country is eager to collaborate with relevant partners, she added.

So far, Serbia has discussed cooperation with China, France, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea and the United States.

A regulatory entity for nuclear energy will be established

Currently, the institutional framework is being prepared, primarily within the ministry, after which a regulatory entity for nuclear energy needs to be established, Đedović Handanović announced.

She stressed that Serbia aims to continue the good cooperation and finalize a new long-term natural gas supply agreement with Gazprom.

The two officials also touched upon the potential sanctions of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against the national oil and gas company, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS). The measures have recently been postponed for the fifth time, until August 27.

Regarding the construction of the Serbia-Hungary oil pipeline, Đedović Handanović said companies NIS, Transnafta, and MOL are continuing to negotiate capacity and financial aspects of the project, and pointed out that the technical specifications of the pipeline have been agreed upon.

Post Views:84
August 15, 2025
by

Floating solar farm ready to be merged with North Sea offshore wind park

Dutch company Oceans of Energy has assembled its new floating photovoltaic plant in the Port of Amsterdam in just three days. The modular facility is about to be towed and integrated with the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm on the North Sea, creating a hybrid power plant.

The Nymphaea Aurora floating solar power platform comprises 1,400 photovoltaic panels on 196 floaters. It features reused metals at 70%, while the share of reused polymers is 80%. The name is inspired by a water lily and how it gently floats, while aurora is the Latin word for dawn.

SolarPower Europe promoted the project after the modular platform was assembled in the Port of Amsterdam in just three days. It is about to be towed to a spot 22 kilometers offshore IJmuiden on the North Sea. There it would be installed within the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm.

Using just 3% to 5% of the space between turbines for solar panels can boost energy output by over 20%, all while using the existing energy system infrastructure, the update adds.

Next step after Nymphaea Aurora is scaling up so units reach 10 MW, 100 MW, 1 GW

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oceans of Energy Allard van Hoeken claimed Nymphaea Aurora is the world’s first offshore solar farm to be installed within an operational offshore wind park.

However, China’s State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC) commissioned one such facility in 2022. It used Ocean Sun’s technology for the two solar power units offshore Haiyang, a city in Shandong province in eastern China. It connected them with an offshore wind turbine. Several other hybrid offshore wind and floating PV projects have been initiated over the last few years.

Van Hoeken: Everything you do at sea is very scalable

Combining the two renewable energy technologies brings variation into the generation profile, Van Hoeken noted.

“There is more solar energy in the summer and more wind energy in the winter. The next step is scaling up the farms from 1 MW to 10 MW, to 100 MW and to 1,000 MW. This is the size that offshore solar offers to the world, because everything you do at sea is very scalable,” the CEO stressed.

Hollandse Kust Noord is operated by CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco. The 759 MW facility consists of 69 wind turbines, while Nymphaea Aurora brings only 0.5 MW. It takes up one hectare and it will be moored at a location with water depth of 25 meters.

Oceans of Energy deployed three standalone offshore PV units so far

In 2019, Oceans of Energy installed the world’s first floating solar power plant at sea, North Sea 1. Initially located one kilometer from the shore, it had 8.5 kW in capacity. It was expanded to 50 kW the following year and moved to a spot 15 kilometers away, near The Hague. It is an area with high waves, of up to 13 meters.

The firm earlier said it would expand its other pilot facility, North Sea 2, to 1 MW. It is 12 kilometers from the shore. North Sea 3 was deployed last year for testing off the Belgian coast.

Post Views:46
August 15, 2025
by

Romania completes second round of renewable energy auctions – third of wind quota unallocated

Companies that participated in the second round of auctions in Romania for contracts for difference (CfDs) for wind and solar power projects received the ranking list. The target quota for photovoltaics was slightly surpassed, with 1.49 GW approved. Conversely, only 1.26 GW was allocated in the wind project segment, against the available 2 GW. Average winning prices were EUR 40.35 per MWh and EUR 73.89 per MWh, respectively.

Winners include Rezolv Energy’s Dama Solar, which at 1.04 GW in total would currently be by far the largest PV system in Europe, excluding Turkey.

Romania’s Ministry of Energy and transmission system operator Transelectrica have conducted the country’s second wind and solar power auctions for government support in the form of CfDs. They imply fixed prices for beneficiaries for 15 years. If the producer sells its electricity in the market at a higher price, the government receives the difference. It works the other way around as well. The average winning price for wind power was EUR 73.89 per MWh, compared to EUR 40.35 per MWh for photovoltaics.

There was 2 GW available for wind power projects, but the authorities selected only 1.26 GW, within 23 qualified projects. It means their bids were lower than the ceiling of EUR 80 per MWh. Romanian media learned most of the details, while the official report is yet to be issued.

Rezolv, OX2, OMV Petrom, among winners in wind power segment

In the wind power auction, the participants secured less than two thirds of the quota. There are 23 projects of 21 companies on the list, with 1.26 GW accepted overall of the available 2 GW.

Midmar Callatis passed with the lowest bid, EUR 65.17 per MWh, for the Dunărea East project in Constanța county. The entity, controlled by Rezolv Energy, is eligible for a CfD for 211.2 MW. It is the largest proposed capacity that participated in the auction. The Dunărea East and West project is for 600 MW altogether.

The firm signed the grid connection contract last year. It expects to complete the wind park in 2030, to meet the deadline, like almost all other auction winners in both segments.

OX2 has split its project and won three contracts

The second winner by size is the Cerchezu wind power project. The owner, OX2, has split it into chunks, so 128 MW, 25.6 MW and 25.6 MW earned entry into the market incentives scheme. The special purpose vehicle (SPV), called South Wind, has bid EUR 69.87 per MWh, EUR 74.5 per MWh and EUR 76.5 per MWh, respectively, for a combined capacity of 179.2 MW.

Coming in third in terms of selected capacity, with 111.6 MW, is the future Poiana wind power project. The developer is Green Labs, which operates under Electrocentrale Borzești, part of the Renovatio group, under OMV Petrom.

Through its project firm CEF Pelicanu, Renovatio also won a CfD for 103.7 MW for its Alexandru Odobescu project. It bid EUR 76.9 per MWh.

Winning prices in second wind power auction higher amid demand drop

Ecoener Carpatica’s Miroslovești project in Iași county can sign a contract for 54.4 MW, at a price of EUR 68.75 per MWh. The Urleasca project passed with EUR 71.93 per MWh for 31 MW.

Eurowind Energy’s Cheap Energy Company was successful with a bid of EUR 78.5 per MWh for the Pecineaga Northeast (Nord Est or NordEst) endeavor. It applied for 48 MW.

Engie Romania passed with its Falcon wind power project

Falcon Wind of Engie Romania secured a CfD for 52.4 MW with a price of EUR 72.7 per MWh. It was the first under the line in the first round, with a bid that was EUR 5 higher. The location is in Mereni in Constanța county.

The accepted prices in the wind power auction are between EUR 65.17 per MWh and EUR 79.5 per MWh, compared to a range of EUR 54.59 per MWh to EUR 77.33 per MWh in the first round.

Accepted bids for solar power projects significantly lower than in first round

Conversely, solar power prices were much lower than last time. They landed at EUR 35.77 per MWh to EUR 45.2 per MWh, against a range of EUR 45.05 per MWh to EUR 54.19 per MWh in December. This time, the ceiling was EUR 73 per MWh. The commission accepted 26 bids of 1.49 GW in total, extending the quota by 16 MW.

The largest capacity, 520 MW, was awarded to special purpose vehicle West Power Investments for its Dama Solar project. It is for 1.04 GW in total peak capacity, which would make it the biggest solar power plant in Europe excluding Turkey. Rezolv Energy developed the project, together with Monsson. It won the incentives through two equal lots, with bids of EUR 42.2 per MWh each, on a rounded basis.

Enery Element gets almost 460 MW for its two PV projects

Other companies also partitioned their projects for the auction. Enery Element won 11 out of the 26 contracts, for its proposed Baboia PV plant, also called Ogrezeni. The bids were between EUR 35.77 per MWh and EUR 42 per MWh.

In the previous round, it failed to make the quota with EUR 56.82 per MWh. The combined capacity is 350.1 MW. According to Economica.net, the developer may have opted for splitting the PV plant to avoid surpassing the 50-hectare threshold per lot. The Ogrezeni project in Giurgiu county is for more than 500 MW overall, the media outlet noted.

The company also succeeded with four lots of its Dumbrava 2 project. Enery Element’s subsidiary Siret Solar Plant has bid EUR 38.76 per MWh to EUR 38.79 per MWh. The combined capacity is 108.6 MW.

Engie Romania is now eligible for a CfD for 170 MW in peak capacity, for its proposed Cornățelu photovoltaic facility. Its bid was the highest on the list, EUR 45.2 per MWh. The site is in Dâmbovița county

Of note, the government has so far signed contracts with 21 firms that won in the first solar and wind power auctions.

Post Views:347
August 15, 2025
by

Kragujevac heating plant begins ash removal from disposal site in city center

District heating plant Energetika has begun removing coal ash from an uncovered disposal site that has been polluting air and soil for years in the heart of Kragujevac, Serbia’s fourth-largest city. The effort is part of a project financed by an EUR 18 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), to decarbonize the local district heating system.

The ash from Kragujevac is transported to cement plants in Kosjerić and Popovac to be used in the production of cement and construction materials, in line with circular economy principles, according to Serbian Minister of Environmental Protection Sara Pavkov.

On the first day, about 75 tons of ash was removed from the site, with plans to transport a total of 60,000 tons over 24 months.

The ash will be used in cement production in Kosjerić and Popovac

Ash removal is the second phase of the district heating decarbonization project in Kragujevac. In the first phase, old boilers were replaced with gas-fired units, significantly reducing air pollution, according to Dejan Ružić, deputy mayor of Kragujevac. This marked the end of coal use in the city’s district heating system.

The EBRD approved the loan for the project in 2021. Of the total amount, EUR 14 million was earmarked for boiler replacement, together with up to EUR 4 million for ash removal.

In the first phase, coal-fired boilers were replaced with gas-fired units

The bank said at the time that gas-fired boilers would have a capacity of 110 MW and that CO2 emissions from district heating would be cut by an estimated 66%, with sulfur dioxide and particulate matter (PM) emissions eliminated.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has hired Novi Sad-based engineering and consultancy firm AG Institut to monitor the ash disposal services under a EUR 73.900 contract. The works are targeted for completion by July 15, 2027.

Aleksandar Lazović, general manager of the district heating plant, said the works would be carried out in line with the highest environmental standards, in a covered area, to prevent ash from dispersing into the environment.

District heating decarbonization in several Serbian cities

In June this year, Serbia and the EBRD signed a EUR 50 million loan to finance a series of air quality projects in Belgrade, Niš, Valjevo, Zaječar, Novi Pazar, and Smederevo, which had been mapped as cities with the largest excesses of harmful emissions.

The planned projects include replacing outdated boilers running on fuel oil, coal, and other air-polluting fuels with modern and sustainable heat energy sources, such as heat pumps, biomass, and industrial waste heat.

Post Views:108
August 14, 2025
by

DRI secures financing for Vacaresti solar park in Romania

Renewable energy firm DRI has secured financing for the construction and operations of its Vacaresti solar park in Romania.

DRI, UniCredit and Garanti BBVA have signed an agreement for non-recourse loans of up to EUR 60 million to finance the construction and operations of the Vacaresti solar park in Romania.

DRI is Ukraine-based DTEK’s renewables subsidiary in the European Union.

The loan is inclusive of a long-term, fully amortizing construction and term loan, value-added tax, a debt service reserve facility, and the letter-of-credit facilities, according to the firm.

The project is expected to come online in the autumn

The loan structure is aligned with Green Loan Principles and the European Union’s Taxonomy Alignment Criteria, DRI added. It serves as a cornerstone of the EU’s sustainable finance framework and a key tool for market transparency, by providing clear guidelines for direct investments that support the green transition in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the press release reads.

The solar power plant will be located in the Văcărești area in Dâmbovița county. The project is for 126 MW in peak capacity, enough to power about 50,000 households and avoid 48,600 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. Construction kicked off in January 2025 and the project is expected to be online in the autumn.

The buyer of 50% of the electricity output is oil and gas company OMV Petrom. The deliveries will start in January 2027. It is a part of Romania’s largest physical solar power purchase agreement (PPA), signed last December, DRI noted.

Geliukh: DRI is demonstrating its capability to partner with globally renowned financial institutions

“With the signing of this project financing agreement, we have reached another important milestone: this is DRI’s first internationally led syndicated financing, our first certified green loan, and our first multi-currency loan,” DRI CEO Ivan Geliukh stressed.

In his words, it is an important achievement not only for DRI but also for Romania, contributing to the development of renewable energy in the country.

With the project, DRI is demonstrating its capability to partner with globally renowned financial institutions like UniCredit, and with Garanti BBVA, one of Romania’s leading local lenders, according to Geliukh.

DRI has three operational projects in Romania

In Romania, DRI has three operational projects with a total peak capacity of 173 MW. Solar parks Glodeni I and Glodeni II have a combined installed capacity of 113 MW. They are one of the largest renewable energy sites in the country, according to the company.

The 60 MW Ruginoasa wind farm was built in just 10 months. It was the first in the country after a decade, according to the firm.

DRI now has a 1.3 GW portfolio of projects in operation, construction and other stages of development. The company is also active in Croatia.

Post Views:37