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July 31, 2025
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Montenegro’s EPCG, NTE Energy sign memorandum of understanding

Power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore and Norwegian company NTE Energi AS have signed a memorandum of understanding confirming their mutual commitment to intensifying cooperation in the renewable energy sector in Montenegro.

The memorandum of understanding envisages the exchange of information, coordination of activities, and consideration of specific projects through joint venture Zeta Energy, established by state-owned Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) and NTE Energi.

Zeta Energy operates small hydropower plants Glava Zete and Slap Zete, operational since 2021.

Bulatović: The MoU is an important step in EPCG’s ongoing transformation

The memorandum was signed by EPCG’s CEO Ivan Bulatović and NTE Energi’s CEO Inge Forseth.

According to Bulatović, the focus of the cooperation between the two companies will be the development of the hydropower potential of the rivers Ćehotina, Ibar, and Morača, with the possibility of expanding it to other renewable energy sources.

In the search for stable partnerships and the development of domestic renewable capacities, the memorandum represents a significant step forward in EPCG’s transformation, Bulatović asserted.

In his words, collaboration with a renowned company like NTE Energi aligns with EPCG’s goals.

Forseth: Zeta Energy provides a platform for implementing concrete projects

Inge Forseth, NTE Energi CEO, underlined that his company has an extensive track record in energy and decarbonization. He described Montenegro as an attractive market for sustainable energy development.

By signing the MoU, the two firms are opening a new chapter in their cooperation, he stressed.

Montenegro has enormous natural potential, and Zeta Energy serves as a platform to implement concrete projects for the benefit of the local community and partners, according to Forseth.

EPCG has four HPPs in the pipeline

EPCG recently said it planned to include an international partner in the development of the Komarnica hydropower project. The company cited the experiences of Norway, Austria, and France.

The company has four hydropower projects in the pipeline: Komarnica, Kruševo, Ćehotina, and Sutorina. The first two are the most advanced. Kruševo and Ćehotina could be implemented with EDF.

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July 30, 2025
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Sunotec, Sungrow sign 2.4 GWh battery storage agreement

China-based Sungrow and Bulgarian-German company Sunotec have agreed to install 2.4 GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Europe.

Sunotec and Sungrow have signed a strategic agreement to deploy 2.4 GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) across multiple solar power projects in Europe, according to Sunotec.

The 2.4 GWh of energy storage capacity will support grid stability, enable better renewable energy integration, and enhance the reliability of solar parks developed and constructed by Sunotec throughout Bulgaria and wider Europe.

The portfolio includes several large-scale projects across Bulgaria, which will serve energy storage needs, the update reads. Some of the projects in the pipeline will be supported by funds under Bulgaria’s RESTORE national support program.

Velichkov: The next chapter of clean energy

Sungrow intends to supply its industry-leading PowerTitan 2.0 BESS, recognized globally as a top-tier solution for utility-scale applications, while the string inverter SG350HX-20 and Sungrow’s MVS will be used for a hybrid project (PV and BESS) in the portfolio. It would be the first BESS project in Bulgaria with Sungrow technology.

“The global energy transition depends not only on how much renewable power we produce, but on how intelligently we manage and store it,” Sunotec CEO Kaloyan Velichkov said.

The partnership with Sungrow, in his words, reflects shared ambition to lead the next chapter of clean energy – by building resilient, storage-enabled infrastructure that brings stability, sustainability, and scale to markets across Europe and beyond.

Gkinis: The deal is a cornerstone of the two companies’ mission to accelerate clean energy deployment in Bulgaria and Europe

According to Anastasios Gkinis, Regional Director of Sungrow for CEE, SEE and CIS, the collaboration with Sunotec is a cornerstone of his company’s mission to accelerate clean energy deployment in Bulgaria and across Europe.

“Combining Sungrow’s cutting-edge energy storage technology with Sunotec’s execution excellence, we create a powerful force to redefine the energy landscape in Bulgaria and support the region’s transition to a sustainable energy future,” he stressed.

Sunotec has delivered over 650 solar projects with a total installed PV capacity of 11 GW. As of December 2024, Sungrow has installed 740 GW of power electronic converters worldwide, the update reads.

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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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