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July 8, 2025
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Montenegro determines quota, maximum price for solar power auction

At the forthcoming auction for market premiums for electricity from solar power plants in Montenegro, the participants will bid for state support for 250 MW in total capacity. The maximum price to compete for is EUR 65 per MWh and the contracts will last 12 years.

The Government of Montenegro adopted the decisions and directives necessary for issuing a public call to auction for solar power projects of at least 400 kW. The lowest bids will win, and the maximum price is EUR 65 per MWh. Market premiums will be awarded, via 12-year contracts for difference (CfDs).

Conducting renewable electricity auctions is one of the commitments toward the European Union that were defined by the Reform Agenda of Montenegro 2024-2027. It contains the conditions for the approval of up to EUR 383 million from the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans and the Reform and Growth Facility (RGF).

The sum consists of EUR 110 million in grants via the Western Balkans Investment Framework and highly concessional loans, as the EU calls them. WBIF would provide EUR 95 million and the remainder is for the state treasury.

The commission responsible for the auction will extend the quota by up to 50 MW if it fits in one or more eligible projects in their entirety

The country plans solar and wind power auctions for 400 MW in total capacity. The quota for the first auction for the rights to market premiums, only for photovoltaic projects, is 250 MW.

However, the quota can be extended, by a maximum of 20%. The government said the extra 50 MW is available for the inclusion of an entire eligible project that entered the quota only partially, or more such projects, in case the bids for them were equal. But if the part of the capacity outside of the quota is larger than the possible extension, the commission would award a market premium only for the part that did fit the quota.

Conversely, in case a share of the quota isn’t awarded, it can be switched to the next auction.

Under a CfD, the operator of a renewable electricity plant has a guaranteed price, approved through the auction. When the firm sells electricity in the market at a higher price, it must return the difference. And vice versa: when the beneficiary gets less per megawatt-hour than the contract price, they are reimbursed.

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July 7, 2025
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Open call for green hydrogen high-efficiency CHP pilot plant in northern Greece

Greece’s Alternate Minister of Economy and Finance Nikos Papathanasis has launched an open call for the installation and operation of a high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) unit using fuel cells powered by green hydrogen. The site for the pilot project is in the Western Macedonia coal region in the country’s north. It is part of the government’s Just Development Transition Programme 2021–2027.

Western Macedonia is Greece’s main coal region, and the other one is Megalopolis in the Peloponnese. The country is transforming the economies of the two areas toward clean and smart technologies, largely with funding from the European Union and aiming at a just transition.

The open call signed by Alternate Minister Nikos Papathanasis for the installation and operation of a pilot unit for high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) facility, running on fuel cells, has a total budget of EUR 7.87 million. The facility would utilize green hydrogen produced in electrolyzers powered by renewable electricity.

The energy would be used to provide 24/7 power and heat to the Bodosakeio General Hospital of Ptolemaida, the Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI) in the same city and the Daycare Center for People with Disabilities in the municipality of Eordaia.

The deadline for proposal submission is October 31

The deadline for the submission of proposals is October 31, with immediate evaluation of applications.

The project is for the construction of a pilot CHP unit and a photovoltaic park on municipal land in Eordaia.

According to the announcement from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the flagship initiative aims to showcase and implement cutting-edge energy and environmental technologies, contributing to the region’s energy transition and decarbonization efforts.

In April, Public Power Corp. (PPC) announced a EUR 5.8 billion investment plan to support the transition of Western Macedonia. The endeavor consists of the decommissioning of old assets and the rollout of new energy technologies.

According to the decarbonization timeframe, Ptolemaida 5 will be the last coal plant in the country, continuing to operate until the end of 2026. It is set to be converted to a gas power plant with a capacity of 350 MW. PPC is also open to upgrading it to 500 MW or even 1 GW.

The plan also includes: 2.1 GW of solar PV capacity, with one 550 MW project nearing completion in a former lignite mine, 860 MW of energy storage, including pumped hydro and battery systems, and a 300 MW data center, planned to be scaled up to 1 GW.

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July 7, 2025
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Foreign renewable energy investors remain committed to Romania as large plants coming online

Renewable energy companies from abroad aren’t intimidated by negative power prices in Romania, especially with the battery storage segment accelerating. Energy giants EDP Renewables and Engie have new solar power plants, and more renewable energy facilities are coming online, while the government is disbursing European grants.

The renewable energy market in Greece is consolidating and a number of foreign investors are leaving, but some other countries in the region that Balkan Green Energy News tracks remain attractive, especially Romania and Turkey. Big names from abroad keep coming, and the established ones are commissioning facilities and committing to more projects.

Like elsewhere in Europe and beyond, the increasing occurrence of low, zero and negative power prices are impacting the sentiment in Romania. But funding from the European Union, the government’s administrative support, renewable energy auctions and bets on battery storage seemingly outweigh the current risks.

EDPR’s new photovoltaic park Albina will generate 67 GWh per year

EDP Renewables (EDPR), subsidiary of Portuguese energy giant EDP, recently inaugurated its Albina photovoltaic plant. Located in western Romania, just outside of the city of Timisoara, the renewable energy unit came online late last year.

Albina has 60 MW in peak capacity and a 48.8 MW grid connection. The company expects it to generate 67 GWh per year. EDP said that with the new plant it reinforces its commitment to Romania. It operates wind and solar power plants in the country of over 570 MW in combined capacity.

Engie praises renewable energy potential in Romania

Engie Romania commissioned the sixth photovoltaic park in its portfolio. It is located in the commune of Ariceștii Rahtivani in Prahova county. Together with the new facility, of 37.2 MW in peak capacity, French Engie’s branch in Romania now has 248 MW in renewable energy in operation.

The site covers ​​57 hectares. Estimated annual output is 57 GWh. The firm owns three wind farms of 178 MW in total while its six PV systems have 70.3 MW in overall peak capacity. Last year it built one of the first hybrid power plants in the country.

Engie Romania said the new plant strengthened its position and praised the country’s “significant potential” in the renewable energy segment. The firm targets 1 GW in the country by 2030. It also distributes natural gas and supplies both gas and electricity, and offers energy services.

Rezolv building one of largest wind power plants in Europe

The Vifor wind farm in Buzău county, northeast of Bucharest, is almost half done. Rezolv Energy plans to finish it in 2027. The first phase is for 192 MW, with a planned expansion to a colossal 461 MW.

The company purchased Vestas turbines for the wind park, which is set to become the largest in Europe and the second-largest in Romania. The developer won a fixed electricity price for 15 years in the form of a contract for difference at the country’s renewable energy auction. The wind power plant will also benefit from a power purchase agreement (PPA).

Wind farm of 99.2 MW Galaţi in to launch operations next year

OX2 is building the Green Breeze wind farm, delivering the project as a turnkey construction project for the investor, Nala Renewables. The project involves 16 Vestas V162-6.2 MW turbines, or 99.2 MW altogether. Annual production at the future wind power plant in Galaţi in the eastern part of the country is 312 GWh, according to the estimate.

The facility is on schedule for the start of operations in the first half of next year. Together with Green Breeze, OX2 is working on 620 MW in five wind power projects. The Swedish company has said it intends to grow and diversify in the country.

Enery from Austria lining up renewable electricity plants in Romania

Romania-based Enevo announced that it started building a solar park of 54.2 MW in peak capacity for Enery Development.

Also in Dâmbovița county, Enery Element, the joint venture of the Austrian company with Element Power Group, has a project for a battery-backed PV park.

Total investment is some EUR 27.5 million, of which EUR 2.4 million is from the EU’s Modernisation Fund. The solar power component is 74 MW and the battery energy storage system (BESS) would provide 10.2 MWh in capacity. The location, formally run by project firm Gura Solar Plant, is in the Gura Ocniței commune.

Ecoener, headquartered in Spain, is developing an agrivoltaic project of 11 MW

A Spanish group with an annual turnover of almost EUR 100 million wants to build the first agrisolar park in Iași county, in the commune of Țibănești. Solar panels of 11 MW in total peak capacity would be placed 1.5 meters above ground. The investor, Ecoener, established a Romanian subsidiary for the endeavor: Ecoener Țibănești.

Greece’s PPC turning its wind, PV facilities into hybrid power plants with battery storage

Greek state-controlled Public Power Corp. (PPC) is developing a BESS investment through its firm Sun Challenge, which operates the Lumina solar power project in Călugăreni, Giurgiu county. The PV facility of 63 MW in peak capacity has been online for two years now. Lumina is PPC Renewables’ largest solar power unit in Romania.

It is one in a string of the Greek company’s energy storage projects. PPC plans BESS at its wind farms Topolog (27 MWh), Corugea (80 MWh) and Sălbatica (60 MWh) in Tulcea county. It slated another 120 MWh in total storage capacity at wind power plants Nicolae Bălcescu and Târgușor in Constanța county.

PPC operates wind, photovoltaic and hydropower capacity in Romania of 1.3 GW overall

The Fântânele-Cogealac-Gradina wind farm, which PPC took over from Macquarie Asset Management, already includes a BESS facility. The 600 MW facility is the largest in Romania of its kind.

In Prahova, PPC Renewables Romania plans a 10 MWh storage system at the Berceni 1 photovoltaic park, with an installed capacity of 9.8 MW. Another storage system, of 8 MWh, would be integrated with the Colibași photovoltaic park (7 MW) in Giurgiu county.

PPC operates wind, photovoltaic and hydropower capacity in Romania of 1.3 GW overall.

Turkey-based YEO Technologies, Danish company Eurowind Energy and Solarpro, a contractor from neighboring Bulgaria, all have new investment updates, too.

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July 7, 2025
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EU’s Modernisation Fund disburses EUR 3.66 billion for clean energy projects in nine countries

Energy modernization projects in nine member states of the European Union will receive a total of EUR 3.66 billion from the Modernisation Fund, in the largest disbursement to date from the facility financed by carbon pricing revenues, according to a press release from the European Commission. The selected projects focus on renewable energy, grid upgrades, energy storage, and energy efficiency.

The largest beneficiary of the latest disbursement is Poland, which will receive EUR 1.33 billion for its projects, followed by the Czech Republic, with EUR 1.05 billion, and Romania, with EUR 712.3 million. Hungary will get EUR 181.3 million, Croatia EUR 170 million, and Greece EUR 113.6 million. The rest will go to Latvia (EUR 40 million), Lithuania (EUR 37 million), and Slovenia (EUR 19.7 million).

Croatia will finance renewable heat production and zero-emission transportation, and Slovenia will upgrade power grid to integrate renewables

In Croatia, EUR 80 million will be used for the production and use of heat from renewable energy sources and energy efficiency improvement in heating and cooling systems. The rest will go to investments in zero-emission transportation. In Slovenia, the funding will facilitate renewables integration through the modernization and development of the electricity transmission and distribution network.

Greece, which became a Modernisation Fund beneficiary in January 2024, intends to replace urban diesel buses with new electric buses, improve energy efficiency in municipal swimming pools, and switch the heating and cooling systems in its greenhouse infrastructure to renewables.

In Romania, the funding will help improve the energy efficiency of facilities covered by the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), support the contract-for-difference (CfD) scheme for onshore wind and solar, and finance the installation of solar and wind power plants for self-consumption in the agricultural and food sectors and public institutions. It is also intended for investments in new solar, wind, and hydropower capacities and to support the modernization and rehabilitation of the district heating network.

In the Czech Republic and Lihtuania, the funding will support energy storage projects

Other example projects include investments in storage capacity for renewable electricity in the Czech Republic, investments in large-scale energy storage capacities in Lithuania, and a clean air program in Poland that focuses on energy efficiency improvements and heat source replacements in single-family houses, according to the press release.

The investments will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy, industry, and transportation sectors, improve energy efficiency, and help the beneficiary states meet climate and energy targets, the commission said.

The projects will also help improve people’s everyday lives, by reducing bills, improving public services, creating jobs, and making the energy transition real, fair, and beneficial for all, according to Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.

With this latest round of funding, the total disbursements from the Modernisation Fund since January 2021 have climbed to EUR 19.1 billion. The fund is financed by revenues from the auctioning of emission allowances under the EU ETS.

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July 6, 2025
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Slovenia’s sole coal-fired power plant Šoštanj to keep main unit offline until fall

As of this year, Slovenia’s only coal-fired power plant, Termoelektrarna Šoštanj (TEŠ), has shifted its primary focus to supplying heat, with electricity now sold as a byproduct. The ongoing overhaul of its unit 6 is expected to be completed in the coming days, but the 600 MW block will not be restarted until the end of September, when demand for heat is set to rise.

As part of the coal-phaseout process, targeted for completion in 2033, the Government of Slovenia decided last year to set aside EUR 403 million to save TEŠ and coal mine Velenje from bankruptcy and take over both from state-owned power utility Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE).

TEŠ hopes the fall months will drive revenues

TEŠ hopes that the fall months will enable it to meet this year’s revenue target, as the operation of unit 6 is unprofitable in the summer due to low market prices for electricity and reduced demand for heat. This year, the power plant aims to earn EUR 400 million from the sale of heat and electricity.

Apart from unit 6, TEŠ operates only one other coal-fired generator, unit 5, with a capacity of 345 MW, while its first four blocks have been shut down.

The changed circumstances have been challenging for TEŠ, according to its CEO, Branko Debeljak. As HSE no longer sells TEŠ’s electricity, the plant had to set up its own sales department and seek customers on the market. Even so, the first four months of 2025 were quite successful when it comes to electricity sales, says Debeljak. The plant sold 1,045 GWh of electricity, generating revenues of EUR 138 million, or EUR 29 million more than initially planned, according to him.

The overhaul of unit 6 began in April

The overhaul of unit 6 began on April 22 and was expected to be completed by June 20. However, due to delays in the delivery of components, it had to be extended until early July. The completion of the overhaul will be followed by a short trial run, and a restart is planned at the end of September when the need for heat supply is set to rise again.

Slovenia aims at a 55% drop in emissions by 2033, and an early closure of its only coal-fired plant could help achieve that target. It seems likely that TEŠ will be shut down within a few years or operate at minimum capacity.

In June, Ireland’s Moneypoint power plant stopped burning coal, marking the end of coal use in the country. Slovakia and Spain officially intend to exit coal in 2025, followed by Greece (2026), France and Hungary (2027), and Denmark and Italy (2028). However, the dates could be pushed forward, and more countries could join the group in the meantime.

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July 4, 2025
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Serbia, North Macedonia working on gas interconnector project

Serbia’s state gas company Srbijagas and North Macedonia’s gas transmission system operator Nomagas signed a memorandum of understanding expressing their intention to soon build a gas interconnector between the two countries. Srbijagas is also expected to present a plan for a gas interconnection with Romania.

The memorandum, signed by Srbijagas General Manager Dušan Bajatović and Nomagas Executive Director Muhamet Elmazi, confirms the pipeline’s border crossing point, an important step in preparing technical documentation and project implementation, according to a press release from Srbijagas.

The interconnector’s planned two-way capacity is 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The feasibility study, financed through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), is expected to be completed soon, according to a statement by Nomagas.

The interconnector’s planned capacity is 1.5 billion cubic meters

In North Macedonia, the interconnector would be connected to the existing Klečovce gas pipeline, and in Serbia, to a pipeline in Vranje that has already been built. Its total length would be approximately 70 kilometers – about 47 kilometers in Serbia and 23 kilometers in North Macedonia.

The memorandum reaffirms the political will expressed in a memorandum signed by the two countries’ relevant ministries in October 2024, particularly the importance of interconnecting energy markets, strengthening the security of gas supply, and diversifying supply routes, according to Srbijagas.

With this document, the two sides also declare their support for increased cooperation between Southeast European countries and the establishment of a regional energy market as part of the European Union’s internal energy market.

Serbia-Romania interconnector project to be presented in September

Srbijagas has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Romania’s national gas transmission system operator SNTGN Transgaz. On the sidelines of a meeting in Bucharest, the two companies’ top executives agreed to present a joint plan in September for a gas interconnection.

The project involves the construction of a new natural gas pipeline to link the BRUA pipeline in Romania with the Mokrin hub in Serbia. The plan is also expected to include the construction of a gas pipeline between Južni Mokrin and Belgrade, via the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility and the city of Pančevo, according to a press release from Srbijagas.

The Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector was put into trial operation at the end of 2023.

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