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July 2, 2025
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Clean energy, grid upgrade projects in Western Balkans to be backed under EU’s Growth Plan

The European Commission has proposed the first support package, of EUR 87.7 million, under the European Union’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, to help implement EUR 487.3 million worth of hydropower, solar district heating, and grid modernization projects in Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia. The package was announced following a high-level meeting between European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and Western Balkan partners in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje.

The package, funded from the EUR 6 billion Reform and Growth Facility (RGF), set up under the Growth Plan, will be rolled out through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). The proposal was made to the WBIF Operational Board, according to a press release from the commission.

The eight proposed projects include building a new generation unit and upgrading existing ones at Serbia’s Potpeć hydropower plant, which would increase its annual production to 236 GWh while reducing CO2 emissions. The investment is valued at EUR 72.1 million, with the RGF support amounting to EUR 15.8 million. The project is targeted for completion in 2030, according to the commission’s fact sheet.

Serbia could get support for introducing solar energy in district heating

The other project in Serbia is the construction of a 31 MW solar-thermal plant and 17 MW heat pump in Novi Sad, which will introduce renewable energy sources to the district heating system. The project would cost a total of EUR 114.3 million, with the RGF support at EUR 25 million. The targeted completion date is 2028.

In Montenegro, the package would support three projects. The first is an EUR 18.3 million investment in building a 38-kilometer 110kV overhead transmission line between Vilusi and Herceg Novi, aimed at increasing transmission capacity and reducing energy losses. It would receive EUR 3.1 million from the RGF.

The EU plans to back Montenegro’s SCADA roll-out

The second project in Montenegro is the introduction of SCADA in the power distribution system, estimated at EUR 26.5 million, with the proposed RGF support of EUR 5 million. The third one is a planned upgrade of the Brezna substation on the Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor. The EUR 35.6 million investment would be backed with EUR 6.3 million from the RGF.

Albania plans to digitalize its transmission network in EUR 64.2 million project

The support package also includes Albania’s EUR 95.3 million investment in upgrading the Fierza hydropower plant, aimed at increasing its capacity by 10% and extending its lifespan by at least 30 years. The support from the RGF would amount to EUR 10.5 million. The other project to be supported in Albania is the EUR 64.2 million digitalization of the transmission network, which would receive 13.6 million from the RGF.

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July 2, 2025
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Slovenia launches public consultation on spatial plan for second unit at Krško nuclear plant

The Slovenian Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning initiated the development of a spatial plan on the country level for the second unit of nuclear power plant Krško. It invited the public to submit comments and suggestions.

The initiative was announced at a press conference last week by representatives of GEN energija, the state-owned company developing the Krško 2 (NEK 2) project. The document has now been made public and will remain available for comments until the end of September.

The initiative will be available for comments until the end of September

To keep the public informed, GEN energija will open information offices in several locations across Slovenia – Krško, Ljubljana, Maribor, and Nova Gorica.

At the press conference, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy Tina Sršen described the document as a “milestone,” adding that the project was now moving into broader social and professional coordination.

Final decision on capacity and technology expected in 2028

GEN energija’s chief operating officer, Bruno Glaser, said the capacity of the proposed second unit and the technology to be used have yet to be determined, but that the initiative envisages a capacity of 1,000 MW to 1,650 MW.

He also said that the final investment decision should be made in 2028, along with decisions on the reactor’s capacity and the supplier.

Croatia is willing to participate in the Krško 2 project

Another issue to be resolved before a final investment decision is made is the possible participation of other investors. Croatia has repeatedly expressed its interest in taking part in the project, recalled Gen Energija CEO Dejan Paravan, noting that Croatia’s state-owned power utility Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP) co-owns the existing power plant in Krško.

Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and his Croatian counterpart, Andrej Plenkovič, discussed the topic at a recent meeting, according to Paravan.

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July 2, 2025
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Vatopedi monastery on Mt. Athos gets largest grid-forming BESS in Greece

A grid-forming battery energy storage system of 3 MW was put into trial operation at the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos. The project is part of the green energy transition of the monastic republic in northern Greece.

The Sacred Patriarchal and Stavopegial Monastery of Vatopedi, founded in the 10th century, has a microgrid. Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor ENGAIA said it installed the largest grid-forming battery energy storage system (BESS) in Greece at the site. The facility with 3 MW in operating power and a capacity of 6 MWh is also the largest in the country, according to the company.

The Monastic Republic of Mount Athos of 20 monasteries in the Chalkidiki peninsula in northern Greece isn’t connected to the national electricity network. Reliant until recently only on diesel-fired generators and solid fuel, the self-governing area is shifting to solar power with storage.

Not long ago, Mount Athos relied on diesel-fired generators and solid fuel for its energy needs

ENGAIA, a Greek member of the London-based ECOERA group of companies, is also adding a 1.1 MW photovoltaic unit. It said it would enable it to commission the battery facility fully.

The company stressed that the independent microgrid with a virtual synchronous generator (VSG) at Vatopedi, enabling energy autonomy, is also the largest in the country and one of the largest in Europe. The new BESS is the first large-scale deployment of Huawei’s equipment in the sector in Greece.

Mount Athos is also known as Agion Oros – Holy Mountain. Three years ago, European funds were approved for 21 autonomous photovoltaic stations, with a total capacity of 2.64 MW, in combination with energy storage systems. Mytilineos, now called Metlen, won the contract for the installation of the facilities.

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July 2, 2025
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Danish Eurowind Energy to build 220 MW solar park in Romania

Denmark-based renewable energy company Eurowind Energy has announced plans to develop a 220 MW solar park in Romania in an investment valued at EUR 174.8 million. It would be its largest solar park in Romania and one of the biggest in the country. In addition, the company ordered wind turbines from Vestas for its three projects in Romania.

Eurowind’s future solar park, located in Vișina in Dâmbovița County, will span 345 hectares, comprising over 400,000 photovoltaic panels. Its projected annual electricity output is 400 GWh, equivalent to the consumption of around 150,000 Romanian households.

The Vișina solar park is the fifth photovoltaic project developed by Eurowind in Romania, following those in Hălchiu, Măgurele, Pufești, and Teiuș. By the end of 2025, the company plans to operate a local portfolio of 124 MW, alongside a pipeline of about 7.5 GW of solar, wind, hybrid, and storage solutions, according to its website.

Vișina is Eurowind’s fifth solar project in Romania

The Teiuș Solar Park, with a capacity of 60.2 MW, was commissioned in April this year. The EUR 55 million project was developed in collaboration with local firm Teiuș Solar. Its planned annual production is 103.59 GWh of electricity.

Also in April, Eurowind signed a 12-year virtual power purchase agreement (PPA) in Romania for the supply of electricity from its Pecineaga wind park. The contract was signed with Sweden-based automotive manufacturer Autoliv.

Eurowind has ordered 143 MW of Vestas wind turbines for its wind farms in Romania

Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas said yesterday that Eurowind Energy has placed a 143 MW order for its Frumușița, Vector, and Pecineaga Northeast (NordEst) wind power projects in Romania. The contract includes the supply and installation of 23 wind turbines from the EnVentus platform, Vestas added.

In addition to wind and solar, Eurowind Energy’s portfolio includes hydrogen, biogas, power-to-heat, and battery storage projects. It operates in 16 markets across Europe and the United States, according to the Danish company’s website.

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July 2, 2025
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Turkey selects first hydropower reservoir for YEKA floating solar power auction

The reservoir of state-owned Electricity Generation Corp.’s Demirköprü hydropower plant is the first proposed area for Turkey’s planned floating solar power auction. The YEKA support mechanism provides grid permits for several decades and a period with guaranteed prices.

Within its ambition to grow the solar and wind power capacity to 120 GW in total by 2035, the Turkish government is counting on floating photovoltaics as well. The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources proposed the reservoir of the Demirköprü hydropower plant for the first dedicated auction for the technology.

Detailed studies of the area are underway under the framework for the Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) state support mechanism, the announcement revealed. The scheme is better known by its Turkish acronym YEKA.

Demirköprü is on the Gediz river, east of Izmir, in Manisa province. Its owner is state-owned Electricity Generation Corp. (Elektrik Üretim A.Ş. – EÜAŞ). The 69 MW hydropower plant’s dam holds a reservoir with a regular surface of just under 48 square kilometers.

The Demirköprü hydropower plant’s reservoir spans almost 48 square kilometers under regular conditions

The country’s second floating solar power plant came online early this year. The only other such facilities in the region that Balkan Green Energy News covers are in Romania and Albania.

Turkey held auctions for 7.85 GW in total for wind and solar power, of which 3.8 GW for PV projects. Winners get grid permits for several decades and a period with guaranteed prices.

The country’s total electricity production capacity reached 119.3 GW by the end of May, of which 72.5 GW ran on renewable sources. Solar power accounted for 22.6 GW, compared to 20.4 GW in mid-February.

The ministry selected the first offshore wind power zones in August 2023.

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July 2, 2025
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Europe’s largest floating solar power plant begins operation

The largest floating solar power plant in Europe, named Les Ilots Blandin, has officially begun operation in France. With a total capacity of 74.3 MW, the facility is located in the Haute-Marne department, on the site of former gravel pits, and is expected to generate enough electricity to supply 37,000 people annually.

In the Haute-Marne department, the largest floating solar plant in Europe was launched by Q Energy and Velto Renewables. Located near the commune of Perthes, the facility features 135,000 solar panels installed on floating platforms.

It sits on basins formed by flooded former gravel pits, closed in 2020 and owned by local company Etablissements Blandin. The newly inaugurated floating solar power plant was named Les Ilots Blandin, which translates as Blandin’s islets.

The solar panels cover 45.5 hectares

The total area spans 127 hectares, and the solar panels cover 45.5 hectares, project manager at French floating solar developer Ciel et Terre, Vincent Pinchou, told pv magazine France. The company was responsible for supplying and installing the floating structures, modules, and inverters.

The power plant has a total peak capacity of 74.3 MW, with 72.3 MW installed on floating platforms and 2 MW on land. The ground-mounted section was strategically integrated to optimize both energy production and the site’s economic performance. The installation consists of six separate platforms, each ranging in capacity from 8 MW to 17 MW.

According to the developers, the plant will generate enough renewable electricity to supply 37,000 people and prevent 18,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.

Floating solar plants are more expensive to build and maintain than ground-mounted ones

In northern regions of France, there is significant potential for the development of floating solar technology. However, Corentin Sivy, Development Director of Q Energy, emphasized that one of the main challenges remains economic. Floating solar plants are more expensive to build and maintain than ground-mounted ones. Moreover, France’s Commission de Régulation de l’Énergie (CRE) does not hold separate tenders for floating projects; they must compete directly with ground-based systems.

The project’s financing was secured in September 2024, with more than EUR 50 million provided by Crédit Agricole Transitions & Energies and Bpifrance. In early 2025, Spanish renewable energy company Velto Renewables acquired a 50% stake in the project.

“Velto is accelerating its development in France with a clear objective: to establish a long-term presence in France for several decades. We are here to stay. Our mission is to develop, operate, and support projects over the long term, in harmony with local specificities; this is one of the reasons we are proud of our partnership with Q Energy in France,” CEO of Velto Renewables Lucas de Haro said at the inauguration.

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