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August 7, 2025
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Court suspends Hidroelectrica’s hydropower project by stopping deforestation

An almost complete hydropower project that was launched in the late 1980s in Romania is stuck again as a court in Cluj suspended a government’s decree that allowed clearing 31 hectares of forest. Hidroelectrica’s endeavor on the Răstolița river is for 35.2 MW.

What was labeled by the Romanian media as the last big investment of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s regime is again on an extended hold. The Cluj Court of Appeal suspended a government decree from earlier this year that allowed the deforestation of 31 hectares for a 35.2 MW hydropower plant on the Răstolița river in Transylvania.

The project, launched in 1989, is 90% finished. In June, the same court suspended the environmental permit.

Răstolița project has special status

The government declared Răstolița a renewable energy project of major public interest in 2022. It exempted it from the obligation to carry out an environmental impact assessment study and the ban on reducing the national forest fund.

Nongovernmental organizations Declic and Bankwatch Romania, which submitted the complaint, pointed out that deforestation continued between the two rulings. The location of the Răstolița hydropower project, run by state-owned Hidroelectrica, is part of the Călimani National Park.

The two groups have argued that the technical documentation is more than three decades old, ignoring climate change, biodiversity and public safety. The affected area is vital for flood prevention and the conservation of species, they pointed out.

Conversely, the government claimed the project would actually reduce the risk of flooding and enable water supply and the management of the Mureș river and its tributaries.

Romania already invested over EUR 200 million

The facility in Mureș county was planned to be commissioned in November. In January, the authorities approved the expropriation of 55 hectares of forest.

Average electricity production in the first phase is estimated at 46.3 GWh per year, and it would reach 117.5 GWh in the final stage. The reservoir would be 5.6 kilometers long. Investments made so far are valued at more than EUR 200 million.

Former Minister of Energy Sebastian Burduja reacted to the new ruling by calling it “economic sabotage.” He is a member of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Romania’s parliament.

 

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August 7, 2025
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WindEurope: EU must boost investment in ports, ships to meet offshore wind targets

Europe needs to increase investment in ports and shipbuilding, which play a crucial role in offshore wind development, to achieve its goals in this energy segment, according to wind industry association WindEurope. The European Commission’s upcoming strategies for ports and the maritime industry are expected to create conditions for the necessary investment.

The European Union aims to increase its offshore wind capacity from 36.6 GW to 84 GW by 2030, but one of the most pressing challenges it faces is the lack of timely investment in vessel manufacturing and port infrastructure, WindEurope warns.

To meet its 2030 energy security targets, the EU must install at least 10 GW of offshore wind each year. After 2030, this figure will have to increase to 15 GW a year, says WindEurope, noting that robust and resilient port infrastructure and supply chain are key for the achievement of the offshore goals.

After 2030, the EU will have to install 15 GW of offshore wind a year

Over the past three years, over EUR 6.7 billion has been invested in port infrastructure and new vessels across the EU, but a further EUR 6.4 billion is required, the association explains, noting that the European Commission is now working on its EU Ports Strategy.

All offshore wind equipment is transported through ports, and they often serve as bases for the operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms. Ports also host local wind energy supply chains and offer space to store and, in the case of floating turbines, assemble large components, the association notes.

Investment in port infrastructure over the past three years has amounted to EUR 4.4 billion, which can ensure that the EU meets its offshore wind targets, but an additional EUR 2.4 billion is needed to put the bloc on track to achieve post-2030 offshore deployment goals, according to WindEurope.

To make this happen, the EU’s strategy must seek to mobilize additional funding, streamline permitting, and establish planning at the EU level, the association recommends.

A further EUR 4 billion in investment is needed for new ships to handle next-generation wind turbines

When it comes to vessels, they should be a key area of focus in the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy, which aims to enhance the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of Europe’s maritime manufacturing sector, WindEurope says.

In the past three years, the EU has invested at least EUR 2.3 billion in new vessels, but it will have to spend a further EUR 4 billion to keep pace with wind turbine technology innovation and handle the upcoming generation of turbines with capacities exceeding 15 MW, it explains.

The strategy should also enable the decarbonization of maritime operations by supporting the shift to clean fuels, such as electricity, ammonia, and hydrogen, and by providing funding for retrofitting vessels and building new zero-emission ships, according to WindEurope.

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August 6, 2025
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Bulgaria’s NEK to launch offering of guarantees of origin on IBEX

State-controlled hydropower plant operator NEK said it would launch auctions for gurarantees of origin in Bulgaria, providing liquidity in the market segment. There is currently no offering scheduled on the IBEX electricity exchange.

Following the first auction for guarantees of origin (GOs) in Bulgaria last month, state-owned hydropower operator Nаtsionalna elektricheska kompania (NEK) is preparing its first offering. The company said it would ensure liquidity in the segment.

NEK is one of the 12 participants in the market, operated by the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange (IBEX). The utility said it is the leader in guarantees of origin and the production of electricity from renewable sources. It is part of Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH).

The company operates 31 hydropower and pumped storage hydropower plants, of 2.74 GW in total capacity. All guarantees of origin owned by NEK will be offered on the platform through auctions for the sale of guarantees of origin, starting this month, according to the update. However, there are no auctions in IBEX’s schedule.

A small wind power plant broke the ice in Bulgaria by selling 2,475 guarantees of origin last month. Each represents 1 MWh. The exchange established the platform four months earlier.

NEK revealed that it would start to sell GOs before the end of the month

Electricity consumers buy guarantees of origin from producers to verify that they used renewable energy.

IBEX, solely owned by the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) and the Sustainable Energy Development Agency (SEDA) of Bulgaria are authorized to jointly operate the organized market. The legal framework envisages issuing GOs monthly, quarterly and semianually.

When SEDA achieves integration with the European guarantees of origin system, the participants in the Bulgarian platform will be able to trade abroad as well.

IBEX, founded in 2014, operates day-ahead and intraday markets and a mechanism for bilateral contracts.

Neighboring Greece introduced GOs in June of last year. Also of note, Greece and Bulgaria recently enabled bilateral trade in balancing energy within the Platform for the International Coordination of Automated Frequency Restoration and Stable System Operation (PICASSO).

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August 6, 2025
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Federation of BiH prime minister says ETS could be introduced by end-2025

State institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of its two political entities, the Federation of BiH, will take joint steps aimed at introducing an emissions trading system by the end of the year, according to Nermin Nikšić, the entity’s prime minister.

According to Nikšić, the European Union’s carbon border tax, which is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, poses a serious challenge that demands swift and decisive action at the state level to protect thousands of jobs and prevent a dramatic drop in BiH’s industrial exports, the Fena state news agency reported.

Nikšić announced joint activities by entity and state institutions aimed at establishing an emissions trading system (ETS) by the end of 2025.

With the full rollout of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) at the beginning of next year, importers in the EU will pay a tax on cement, iron, steel, aluminum, fertilizers, hydrogen, and electricity from countries without CO2 pricing systems. It applies to Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as other countries of the Western Balkans.

Nikšić: To maintain exports to the EU, Bosnia and Herzegovina must urgently establish a framework recognized by the bloc

To maintain its exports to the EU, BiH must urgently establish a framework that the bloc recognizes, Nikšić explained. He recalled that BiH is the only country in the region without an electricity exchange, and said it is time for all levels of government to act jointly and responsibly.

FBiH Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry Vedran Lakić expressed the belief that the best way for Bosnia and Herzegovina to protect its economy and keep carbon tax revenues for itself is to establish its own emissions trading system. Without such a scheme, he warned, tens of millions of euros will end up in the EU budget

The revenues would be used to modernize production facilities, reduce emissions, and speed up the green transition, said Lakić.

According to him, the ministry is preparing financial support, through the FBiH Development Bank, for businesses that decide to install solar panels. This, he claims, will enable them to produce electricity for their own needs and avoid CBAM.

Hope dies last

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro have requested delaying the CBAM implementation, as did the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), but the EU confirmed it would proceed as planned. The Energy Community Secretariat pointed out that none of its contracting parties, including Western Balkan countries, would be able to get an exemption for electricity before the tax begins to be charged.

As January 1 is just months away, CBAM’s impact will become clear relatively soon. In Serbia, the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) recently warned that the carbon border tax would threaten jobs and businesses that employ about 7% of the country’s workforce and account for 11% of its GDP.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, an official analysis has shown that CBAM could cost the country’s economy between EUR 369 million and EUR 1.62 billion through 2030.

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August 6, 2025
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Bulgaria on track to add 1.5 GW of solar power by mid-2026

The pace of large photovoltaic projects in Bulgaria indicates that total capacity can reach 6 GW by the middle of next year. The expansion isn’t slowing down.

Investors in large solar power plants in Bulgaria don’t seem intimidated by zero and negative wholesale electricity prices eating away at their revenues. One of the factors is a surge in the construction of battery energy storage systems (BESS), which iron out the gap between intraday peak production and the power demand curve. In a new analysis, Capital.bg estimated that the country’s photovoltaic capacity is set to increase by 1.5 GW by the end of the first half of next year, only accounting for big projects.

The total would reach 6 GW. The report lists 14 projects, of which some are benefitting from BESS grants from one of Bulgaria’s past tenders.

Chinese group building largest current PV project

The biggest solar park under construction is Simeonovgrad-Polyanovo, consisting of two units of 250 MW in total. It is located in the Haskovo region in the southern part of the country.

United Energy Group bought the two projects last year. It it the first significant Chinese investment in Bulgaria, the article reads. The PV plant is expected to be put into operation early next year.

The construction of the first phase of the Tenevo hybrid power plant began almost two years ago

Next on the list is Tenevo. Almost two years ago, Eurowind Energy and Renalfa IPP marked the start of the construction of the solar segment of a hybrid power plant near Yambol. The PV park is envisaged with 237.6 MW in peak capacity and a 213.7 MW grid connection.

The largest solar power plant in Bulgaria is called Apriltsi.

St. George coming online before year-end

Czech company Rezolv Energy bought the St. George project for 229 MW two years ago and broke ground at the construction site last autumn. According to the latest data, the investment is worth almost BGN 1 billion (EUR 511 million) and it is coming online by the end of the year. The developer secured a 199 MW connection.

Greek government-controlled utility Public Power Corp. (PPC) is commissionning its Colosseum (Kolizeum) facility of 165 MW in the coming months, the update reveals. The project in Chirpan has an approved network connection of 120 MW. The company is planning to add batteries of 25 MW in capability and a capacity of 55 MWh.

The company is also building an 88 MW in Vedrare near Plovdiv. The contractor for the facility in the municipality of Karlovo is Chint Green Energy of the Chint Group. The power plant is on track to become operational early next year.

A 123 MW system will be on 400 hectares between the villages of Knizhovnik and Dolno Vojvodino in Haskovo. Austria-based Enery said it would install a BESS of 180 MWh next to its solar park.

Electrohold is testing its Maglizh PV plant, the article adds. The project for 100 MW occupies 127 hectares and the estimated investment is almost EUR 90 million. The plan was changed along the way.

Top Energy Solutions has a construction permit for its Loznitsa project in northeastern Bulgaria. The project is for a peak capacity of 115 MW and a grid connection of 99.99 MW, spanning 82.4 hectares. It is located at the villages of Vesselina and Kamenar in the Loznitsa municipality, Razgrad district.

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August 6, 2025
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Private equity fund to take over 39.5% stake in Romanian SMR project

DS Private Equity (DSPE) is reportedly entering ownership in RoPower Nuclear, a project firm working to build a small modular reactor (SMR) in Romania. In a proposed capital increase, current co-owners Nuclearelectrica and Nova Power and Gas, now at 50% each, would land at 46.5% and 14%, respectively. The South Korean firm’s DSPE Beta Private Equity Fund would control the remaining stake in the Doicești project.

RoPower Nuclear is getting a third co-owner. The joint venture established for the SMR project northwest of Bucharest is about to get a capital increase as part of the financing process, according to a document that Profit.ro obtained.

State-owned Nuclearelectrica, which operates Romania’s Cernavoda nuclear power plant, and Nova Power and Gas (NPG) of the E-Infra group, now own 50% each. Under a new deal, DSPE Beta Private Equity Fund, controlled by DS Private Equity from South Korea, would contribute EUR 68 million in cash and get a 39.5% stake, the report reveals.

Nuclearelectrica to be biggest shareholder

Nuclearelectrica has earmarked EUR 76 million, with an option to convert part of its loans to RoPower Nuclear into ownership, instead of providing cash, the article reads. It would lower the company’s stake to 46.5%.

NPG would add EUR 20 million and have 14% after the transaction. E-Infra is controlled by Romanian entrepreneurs Teofil Mureșan, Simion Mureșan and Marian Pantazescu.

The proposed agreement would lift the project firm’s capital from EUR 8 million to EUR 172 million. DSPE is a shareholder in NuScale Power, which owns the technology for the planned SMR facility of 462 MW. It would be built in Doicești in Dâmbovița county in the Muntenia region. It is the site of a former coal plant.

DSPE could bring KEXIM, Samsung on board

NuScale, based in Oregon in the United States, recently said that it expects Romania to reach a final investment decision early in the second quarter of next year at the latest.

DSPE can bolster the project through its relationship with financial institutions such as Korea Export-Import Bank (KEXIM) and potential contractors including Samsung, the news outlet learned.

The Ministry of Energy in Bucharest earlier estimated the cost of the Doicești project at EUR 4.9 billion.

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