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July 30, 2025
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Two small hydropower turbines to be integrated into Sofia water supply lines

Veolia received a green light from Bulgaria’s capital city to install two hydropower generators within the city’s major water supply lines. The system is envisaged to generate 12 GWh of electricity per year.

Mostly owned by local authorities and underfunded, water and sewerage utilities in Southeastern Europe are struggling to provide enough drinking water and even to remain financially stable. They are under pressure from the effects of global warming and volatile electricity costs. After a water supply firm in Bansko in southwestern Bulgaria installed a miniature in-pipe hydropower generator, the solution sparked interest throughout the country.

Sofiyska voda, Veolia’s subsidiary that produces drinking water and manages wastewater for the capital city, is about to deploy the technology. In-pipe hydropower systems could play a part in decarbonization and energy efficiency as they are simple and don’t harm the environment. Such devices utilize the flowing water’s kinetic and potential energy and excess pressure – otherwise it would be released in the form of heat through a valve and wasted.

Making Sofia sustainable, energy-efficient, modern European city

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev and Country Director of Veolia for Bulgaria, Greece and Albania Francois Debergh signed a memorandum of cooperation for the construction of two small hydropower plants along the city’s trunk water mains.

Earlier, the Sofia Municipal Council approved the findings of a joint working group that explored the possibilities for the investment.

“Our goal is to work consistently for making Sofia a sustainable, energy-efficient and modern European city. One of the key priorities in our vision for development is the use of renewable energy sources. Therefore, among the important fields in which we are working is the construction of small hydropower plants that will allow our city to generate clean electricity locally – with care for nature,” said Mayor Vasil Terziev.

Sofia has been planning in-pipe hydroelectric systems for more than two decades

Such facilities will help reduce the carbon footprint of the capital city and improve the management of water resources, according to the company and the Sofia Municipality, also known as Stolichna (capital) Municipality. They added that renewable energy investments are contributing to the city’s efforts toward energy independence and climate neutrality.

“The project is an example of how the existing infrastructure can be best utilized for clean energy production. After commissioning, the plants will produce approximately 12 GWh of renewable energy per year, which will account for additional annual savings of over 8,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The memorandum is fully aligned with Sofia’s commitments to climate neutrality and Veolia’s participation in the NetZeroCities initiative,” Debergh stated.

Sofiyska voda utility striving for energy independence

Sofiyska voda’s wastewater treatment plant in Kubratovo has been energy independent since 2015. It produces biogas from the sludge separated in the process. The parent company stressed that a pending solar power project would make Sofiyska voda the first energy-neutral water supply and sewerage operator in the region, among only a few on the global scale.

The local authority in Sofia recalled there was an idea already in 2003 for eight hydropower facilities on the water supply lines.

Another alternative hydroelectric project was recently unveiled in northwestern Bulgaria. With the ambition to build several hydroelectric plants on pontoons on the Danube river, a local company intends to install a 20 kW pilot facility in Vidin.

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July 30, 2025
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Slovenia awards first concession for geothermal exploration

The Government of Slovenia has awarded a concession for geothermal exploration in the municipality of Lendava to Verde Energy. Slovenia doesn’t yet use geothermal energy for electricity production.

It is the first concession awarded for geothermal energy, marking an important step toward decarbonizing the Pomurje region, according to the Government of Slovenia.

Lendava is also the site of an innovative project for the use of geothermal energy in Slovenia. It is being implemented by Slovenian companies Dravske Elektrarne Maribor (DEM), Petrol, and Nafta Lendava.

The government said the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy has received an initiative from Verde Energy to start the process of approving a concession for geothermal exploration. The procedure is based on the Law on the Introduction of Devices for the Production of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources, adopted in 2023.

The concession includes three phases

The initiative relates to an area in the municipality of Lendava, the government said. It determined, after a thorough review, that it met all legal requirements.

The concession for geothermal exploration involves a comprehensive exploration of geothermal potential and the development of technology for producing electricity from renewable sources.

The project consists of several phases. The first is the exploration of geothermal energy potential, which includes geophysical surveys and the drilling and testing of geothermal wells.

The concession was awarded without a tender

Next is the preparatory phase, involving the creation of a spatial implementation plan, obtaining necessary permits, drilling wells, and constructing a geothermal power plant. The third phase is for an electricity production study.

According to local media, the concession was granted without a tender, which is allowed by law.

Verde Energy, registered in Ljubljana, is owned by Turkish company Soyak Yenilenebilir Enerji, part of the Soyak Holding group, Lendava Info reported.

In neighboring Croatia, Soyak is planning to build an 80 MW geothermal power plant. It would be the largest in the country. Soyak has established seven project firms in the country.

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July 30, 2025
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Romania preparing EUR 300 million in subsidies for geothermal heating, cooling

The Romanian Government has drafted a state aid mechanism for the production and transport of geothermal energy for district heating or cooling systems. The proposed scheme would be worth EUR 300 million, sourced from the European Union’s Modernisation Fund.

In addition to solar and wind energy, hydropower and battery energy storage systems, Romania is increasingly counting on geothermal potential for its energy transition and decarbonization efforts. The government in Bucharest is preparing EUR 300 million in subsidies for geothermal district heating or cooling systems, Profit.ro reported.

It drafted a state aid package that would be covered from the Modernisation Fund. It is a tool for supporting investments in renewables, energy efficiency, storage and networks and a just transition in 13 European Union member states with lower incomes. The funds are from the proceeds of the sales of greenhouse gas emission certificates within the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).

The proposed subsidies are aimed at the production and transport of heat from geothermal energy, including modernization projects, to the points of connection with the district heating network, according to the document.

No need for auction as budget is sufficient for all mature projects

The budget would be divided into EUR 50 million per year through 2030. The funds are intended to cover the net additional costs of the projects – funding gaps. Typically, they are determined as the difference between the net present value of the factual scenario and the counterfactual scenario over the life of the project, the update reveals.

The government estimated that nine projects would split the available funds

There would be nine beneficiary projects, translating to EUR 33.3 million each, the government estimated. Eligible are thermal energy producers and municipal authorities and their units.

There won’t be a competitive bidding process for allocating the state aid, as the Ministry of Energy received too few mature proposals since 2023, within its exploratory public call, the document adds. The government has concluded the budget would cover the potential demand.

Bucharest, Timișoara among potential beneficiaries

State-owned Electrocentrale București (ELCEN), which produces thermal energy for the district heating system in the capital Bucharest, and National Company Bucharest Airports (CNAB), are among the entities interested in the subsidies.

Bucharest’s Sector 1 administrative authority and the Municipality of Timișoara are in the group as well. The latter, Romania’s fifth-largest city, established cooperation last year with OMV Petrom for district geothermal heating.

The article noted that Green Tech International, listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE or BVB), is on the list. It operates geothermal wells in Călimănești-Căciulata in the country’s south. The company also supplies heat and sanitary hot water in Nădlac in Arad county in the northwest.

One other company interested in the state aid scheme is Transgex. The city of Oradea, where it is based, inaugurated an 18 MW geothermal district heating plant two months ago.

The government recently launched a EUR 56 million grant program for municipal authorities for geothermal energy projects.

In other relevant news from Southeastern Europe, Slovenia launched a EUR 51.2 million cofunding package for green district heating and cooling ten days ago, for companies and cooperatives.

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July 30, 2025
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Turkish renewables firm to drill for geothermal lithium

Margün Energy intends to search for lithium in geothermal waters in Seferihisar in western Turkey, where it took over a 12 MW geothermal power plant. It also launched a project to add a photovoltaic unit of 5.4 MW to the existing facility and create a hybrid power plant.

Turkey, the fourth in the world in geothermal power capacity, also has significant potential for lithium extraction. The production of the mineral used in batteries can increase the cost-effectiveness of geothermal energy projects. Margün Energy, listed at the Istanbul Stock Exchange since 2021, said it would conduct exploration works on 3,125 hectares in Izmir province.

The company recently bought a geothermal power plant in the area for USD 16 million from RSC Elektrik. The 12 MW facility is in Kavakdere in Seferihisar district. Margün Energy denied speculation that it would mine lithium.

If it finds a valuable amount of the mineral in geothermal water, it will build an extraction plant, according to the update. Margün Energy issued the statement after local residents expressed concern over potential environmental damage from lithium mining.

“We have not obtained any mining permits. Furthermore, Margün Energy is not a mining company… Mining lithium, which is used in battery production, and extracting lithium from geothermal fluid by separating it are very different things,” the announcement reads.

Margün Energy to look for precious metals as well

The company said it would continue its investments in geothermal energy such as electricity production and greenhouse farming, arguing it would create jobs for locals. It suggested it could extract carbon dioxide for commercial use as well.

Margün Energy added it would explore the presence of precious metals in geothermal fluids.

Planned PV unit to generate 10 GWh per year

In addition, it submitted a proposal to the country’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA or EPDK) for the installation of a photovoltaic unit with 5.4 MW in peak capacity. It would be added to the existing facility, creating a hybrid power plant. The solar power system would generate 10 GWh per year and increase revenue by USD 1.05 million, the company estimated.

The PV plant would lift Margün Energy’s total capacity to 135.4 MW. The company mostly operates solar power plants and works as a contractor for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and operations and maintenance.

Notably, it owns the largest stake in Enda Energy Holding. The affiliate operates four hydropower plants, five wind power plants, one geothermal power plant and three solar power plants of 200 MW altogether.

Margün Energy rallied 109% since the beginning of the year.

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July 30, 2025
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Slovenia tops EU list for most smart power meters, Croatia among laggards

Slovenia is very close to equipping all electricity consumers with smart meters, while Croatia is within reach of achieving it in the non-home segment, but far behind in the household category, according to the latest data from the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER).

At the top of the list of European Union member states with the highest share of smart meters, three countries are fully equipped with modern smart meters, Naš stik reported.

All consumers in Sweden, Denmark, and Italy have such devices installed. They are followed by Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Spain, and Portugal, all with 99% of households and 100% of non-household consumers equipped.

Germany is at the bottom of the table, with a rollout of just 2%

Next is Slovenia, with 97% overall. France reached 94% among households and 95% in the other category, while Malta is at 93% and 87%, respectively. Slovenia is expected to complete the process by the end of the year, the article added.

The laggards are Lithuania (51%, 95%), Belgium (46%, 79%), Poland (36%, 65%), Croatia (34%, 95%), Romania (27%, 45%), and Greece (12% altogether). Germany is at the bottom of the list, with a combined total of only 2%, according to ACER’s data.

Smart meters are one of the main components of the distribution grid upgrade

Croatia’s state-owned power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP) launched a tender last August worth EUR 86.5 million, for the purchase of smart meters. The company said at the time that it planned to install them at all metering points in the country by the end of 2029.

Smart meters are a crucial factor for modernizing distribution networks. It is necessary for the future power system, where consumers will play a very different role, generating electricity for self-consumption and through demand response and flexibility services.

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July 30, 2025
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Over 20,000 prosumer units connected in Greece in last 18 months

Greece’s distribution system operator HEDNO added more than 20,000 prosumers in the past year and a half, although the new net billing program faces delays.

Last year the government in Athens formally ended the net metering scheme and enacted net billing, aligning with the European Union’s regulations. Any aspiring prosumer with an existing application can switch to the new mechanism for free. The connection charge is EUR 370 per unit.

In the net billing mechanism, the compensation for the prosumer for the electricity delivered to the grid is based on the hourly wholesale price of electricity, instead of a fixed tariff. Projects are limited to a maximum 10.8 kW for households and 100 kW for businesses and energy communities. Virtual billing is also allowed, meaning that production and consumption can be in different locations.

Total capacity almost at 1 GW

According to data from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE), more than 20,000 individual prosumer units have been connected to the grid over the last 18 months, with the majority being connected under net metering.

It brought the overall number of prosumer installations to 35,312, with a total capacity of 995 MW, according to the update.

HEDNO also said 705 applications were in the final stages of the licensing process.

Limited interest from suppliers and aggregators

Despite high interest, progress in adding units within the net billing scheme has been slow. Only two electricity suppliers currently provide such contracts to prosumers and just one of them includes businesses, Energypress reported.

There is limited interest among aggregators to represent corporate net billing installations in the market. As for household units, the Renewable Energy Sources Operator and Guarantees of Origin (DAPEEP) provides the service free of charge.

Market participants are urging improvements in the relevant ministerial decree on net billing, for things to move forward. One of them would be to simplify contracts.

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