Blog – Full Width

  1. Home
  2. Blog – Full Width
May 12, 2025
by

Bulgaria’s IBEX launches guarantees of origin market

Four participants registered last month at the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange’s guarantees of origin platform, creating a national market. Separately, IBEX is preparing to roll out a 15-minute market time unit in the Single Day-Ahead Coupling on June 11 with other European nominated electricity market operators.

The Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange (IBEX) said it launched a market for guarantees of origin (GOs) of electricity with the Sustainable Energy Development Agency (SEDA or, in Bulgarian, AUER). It is part of the efforts to develop a liberalized energy market and promote renewable energy, it added.

IBEX is Bulgaria’s nominated electricity market operator or NEMO. The country’s legal framework envisages issuing GOs monthly, quarterly and semianually.

After the launch of registration on March 31, four companies joined last month: Aurubis Bulgaria, Armaco Energy, Energo-Pro Energy Services and KER Toki Power, the announcement reads.

No timeline for kickoff yet

IBEX, solely owned by the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE), reiterated that its new platform provides for trading with clear rules, guaranteed payments and price transparency. Notably, there is no timeline for the kickoff.

The preparations for the rollout of a GO market lasted several years. The certificates are issued by renewable energy producers. Consumers buy them to prove their progress in decarbonization.

One GO covers 1 MWh of electricity production or consumption. 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. Neighboring Greece introduced GOs last June.

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

Europe transitioning to 15-minute products in day-ahead electricity market

In other recent news, the Bulgarian NEMO co-signed a statement with its counterparts across Europe, affirming the commitment to transition to a 15-minute market time unit (MTU) within the Single Day-Ahead Coupling (SDAC) project on June 11.

The group includes Hellenic Energy Exchange – HEnEx (EnExGroup), Energy Exchange Austria (EXAA), Nord Pool, Croatian Power Exchange (CROPEX) and the Romanian Commodities Exchange (BRM).

Post Views:55
May 12, 2025
by

Major offshore wind projects shelved in another blow to industry

Investors in offshore wind farms, especially European ones, are facing increasing losses – Ørsted decided to halt its Hornsea 4 project in the United Kingdom, while the United States stopped the construction of Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 facility.

After the energy crisis and the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the resulting surge in inflation and the European industry’s weakening competitiveness, the offshore wind sector has suffered another blow from the drastic reversal of energy and climate policy in the United States. The administration of United States President Donald Trump turned against wind power, particularly offshore projects.

Meanwhile, China’s expansion in the sector is looking more and more like the case with solar power, where it has achieved absolute dominance on the global market. It is making it even more difficult for Western wind turbine producers and project developers to remain above water.

Ørsted announced that it is discontinuing its Hornsea 4 project in the United Kingdom “in its current form.” The Denmark-based developer and operator left the possibility of restarting the endeavor later “in a way that is more value-creating.”

The company won a contract for difference (CfD) at an auction in September for the 2.4 GW project, but it still couldn’t keep it afloat – financially, that is.

Hornsea 4 could have become the second-largest facility of its kind off European shores. The CfD is equivalent to GBP 83 per MWh in current prices.

Offshore wind expansion depends on potential returns for investors

Ørsted cited a continued rise in supply chain costs, higher interest rates, and an increase in the risk regarding the timeline. Group President and Chief Executive Officer Rasmus Errboe pointed out that the company made the move “well ahead of the planned final investment decision later this year.” He also mentioned adverse macroeconomic developments.

Breakaway costs are estimated at EUR 469 million to EUR 603 million, Ørsted said. It sees the impact on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) at EUR 402 million to EUR 469 million. It includes a writedown of the offshore transmission assets and cancellation fees. The company expects to write down EUR 67 million to EUR 134 million in construction costs.

WindEurope: Costs can go up between bidding in an auction and procuring equipment, and auctions have to be fully indexed to reflect that

“The pause on Hornsea 4 shows how difficult it is to get offshore wind projects over the line. Costs can go up between bidding in an auction and procuring equipment, and auctions have to be fully indexed to reflect that. More broadly, the investors who make projects happen need a return,” WindEurope commented.

The association stressed that governments are responsible for making value achievable. “Then they’ll get the volumes they want,” the statement adds.

Empire Offshore project stopped in middle of construction in US

In probably the most drastic example of the offshore wind industry’s troubles in the US, the federal authorities forced Equinor to stop its Empire Offshore project last month. The Empire Offshore 1 segment, of 810 MW, was in the middle of construction! The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) ordered the halt pending a comprehensive review.

Notably, the Norwegian government-controlled company was developing the project under a contract with the State of New York. It is in a group of 17 US states and Washington DC which this week challenged, at a federal court in Massachusetts, Trump’s executive order on wind power.

At the end of March, Empire Wind had a gross book value of USD 2.5 billion, including South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, Equinor revealed. By that moment it drew USD 1.5 billion from the loan facility for the project.

Post Views:378
May 12, 2025
by

Serbia’s EPS signs PPAs for wind parks Alibunar 1, Alibunar 2

Serbian state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije will offtake electricity from future wind parks Alibunar 1 and Alibunar 2, of 168 MW in combined capacity. EPS’s Chief Executive Officer Dušan Živković and Project Director of WV-International in Serbia Lazar Lazendić signed today the power purchase agreements (PPAs) and the contracts for difference (CfD) and balancing responsibility.

Wind power projects Alibunar 1 (96.6 MW) and Alibunar 2 (71.4 MW) are among the winners from the latest round of auctions for market premiums for renewable energy in Serbia.

CEO of state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) Dušan Živković signed the power purchase agreements (PPAs) and the contracts for difference (CfD) and balancing responsibility for the two planned facilities with Project Director of WV-International in Serbia Lazar Lazendić.

“EPS is committed to investing in the construction of power plants running on renewable sources, and this way we are strengthening our production portfolio and market position, and we actively support all investors in renewable energy sources. EPS will offtake all the generated electricity, the energy remains in Serbia, and the purchase and balancing price is set according to market principles, which incentivizes investors and enables additional profit for EPS. This energy will also give a substantial, additional security to the operations of our electricity system and to supplying citizens and companies,” Živković asserted.

Commitment to domestic market solidified

At the signing ceremony, Lazar Lazendić pointed out that the said success in auctions represents the materialization of important objectives in the development of the projects Alibunar 1 and Alibunar 2.

“Today’s signing of the contract with Elektroprivreda Srbije, encompassing market premiums, the purchase of electricity, and balance responsibility for our future wind farms solidifies our strong commitment to this market and plays a crucial role in driving Serbia’s energy transition forward,” he added.

Alibunar 1 and Alibunar 2 are SANY Renewable Energy’s first investment in Serbia

The special purpose vehicles, SPVs, or project firms for the two facilities are called Windvision Windfarm A and Windvision Windfarm B, respectively. They are majority owned by SANY Renewable Energy.

“The Alibunar 1 and Alibunar 2 wind farm projects are crucial for our company. SANY Renewable Energy is entering the Serbian market and the Western Balkans region through these projects. This will be the first installation of our wind turbines in these wind farms, serving as a model for our future expansion. We are eager to collaborate with local stakeholders and partners to enhance the country’s energy security,” said Zhou Fugui, Chairman of SANY Renewable Energy and member of the Board and Executive President of SANY Group.

WV-International is the gold sponsor of the Belgrade Energy Forum – BEF 2025, which will be held on May 14 and 15 in Serbia’s capital city, and SANY Renewable Energy is an exhibitor.

Živković: EPS obtained additional 2.6 GW from renewable sources

Živković also said that in the two rounds of auctions facilitated 850 MW of wind and solar power capacity and that, with investors that participated in the two rounds of auctions and other independent producers in Serbia, it already has an additional 2.6 GW from renewable energy sources.

The level will increase by 1 GW in 2028 from the self-balancing solar power plants that the company is developing with its strategic partner, the consortium of UGT Renewables and Hyundai Engineering, he added. “That’s when we expect the production from renewable energy sources to reach 50% of the total electricity production,” the head of EPS underscored.

Post Views:68
May 11, 2025
by

Serbia’s TSO EMS signs grid connection contracts for 11 renewable power plants

Serbia’s transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije signed grid connection contracts today for 11 renewable power plants.

TSO Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) noted that the contracts were signed after the second interval for the preparation of studies for the connection of power plants to the transmission grid. The total capacity of the facilities within the new deals is 2,052 MW, the company added.

They include four self-balancing solar power plants that state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) is developing with the consortium Hyundai Engineering – UGT Renewables under a strategic partnership. The contracts were signed by EMS CEO Jelena Matejić and EPS CEO Dušan Živković.

The grid connection contracts were signed for Salaš and Sikole (490 MW in combined capacity), Jablanica (421.5 MW), Bački Gračac (65.9 MW) and Srpska Kuća (27 MW). Their total approved connection capacity is 1,004.4 MW.

Two projects with grid connection contracts are for hybrid power plants

Five other projects on the list are also for photovoltaic plants: East One (49.5 MW), South Two (44 MW), Erdevik (74 MW), Solar Knjaževac (136 MW) and Palić (110 MW). Two are for energy parks – hybrid power plants combining wind and solar energy – Vida Power with 150 MW and Equinox with 277 MW.

Projects East One and South Two are developed by Hive Energy, Erdevik by Fortis and Solar Knjaževac by Central Europe Energy Company, owned by China’s GCL. CWP Europe is in charge for two hybrid power plants.

Of note, in October 2024, the Government of Serbia launched the strategic partnership with the consortium Hyundai Engineering – UGT Renewables, which was selected at a tender for the investment. It envisages solar power plants with a total connected power of 1,000 MW, or 1,200 MW in nominal terms, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) of 200 MW in overall capability and 400 MWh in capacity.

UGT Renewables CEO Adam Cortese told Balkan Green Energy News that the consortium’s strategic partnership with Serbia for the six photovoltaic facilities is worth EUR 1.6 billion.

Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović said in January that the first works on the project are expected by early 2026.

EMS has two intervals per year for the preparation of grid connection studies

Every year EMS organizes two intervals for grid connection studies: from March 1 to June 30 and from September 1 to December 31. After the contract for the grid connection study is signed and the study is completed, investors must submit bank guarantees to sign the grid connection contract.

The grid connection contract that has been signed now is part of the interval initiated on September 1, 2024.  The contracts for the grid connection studies have been signed for 22 projects, and grid connection contracts have been signed for 11.

In the next interval that started on March 1, 2025, EMS has received eight applications, including two for batteries, the first such projects in Serbia.

In July of last year, EMS announced that September 1 would mark the start of the new interval for the preparation of studies for the connection of power plants and other facilities to the transmission grid.

In the previous interval, bank guarantees for solar, wind and hydropower projects and substations, within the transmission system in Serbia, were provided for 28 facilities with an overall capacity of 4,000 MW, according to EMS.

Post Views:85
May 11, 2025
by

Sarajevo rolls out fully digital system to track air-polluting emissions

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has developed a register of air-polluting emissions and an information system to track pollutants. The register aims to reduce air pollution in Sarajevo, which very often tops the list of the world’s most polluted cities.

The project to develop the emissions register and the air-pollutant information system for the Sarajevo Canton took two years, according to the government of the Sarajevo Canton. During that period, comprehensive data were collected on various air pollution sources, including home fireplaces, boiler rooms, industry, traffic, and agriculture.

In creating the register, nearly 100,000 individual emission sources were analyzed. The emissions of all pollutants from those sources were calculated in line with the European Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards.

The project has created emissions distribution maps for key pollutants

Compared with previous versions, the new register offers significant improvements. It uses the latest methodologies for the spatial distribution of emissions and data verification, complemented by the establishment of a central GIS database and an interactive web portal.

For the first time, the public can compare emissions data for different pollutants on a high-resolution spatial grid (100×100 meters). In addition to the detailed register of emissions, distribution maps for key pollutants, including particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx), are also available.

The information system is set to be publicly available within a month

According to the government, the system allows for the identification of areas with excessive air pollution. A robust emissions register serves as a foundation for strategic financing of projects aimed at improving air quality, including implementing the Strategy for Limiting the Use of Coal and Other Solid Fuels in the Sarajevo Canton (2023-2033), the government added. The strategy was adopted in February 2024.

The new emissions register and air quality categorization map will provide essential data inputs for future planning and strategies across various sectors, including spatial planning, energy, transportation, and healthcare.

Jansson: Air pollution remains one of the most urgent public health challenges in Sarajevo

Birgitta Jansson, deputy head of development cooperation at the Swedish Embassy in BiH, highlighted air pollution as one of the most urgent public health and environmental challenges in the Sarajevo Canton.

“By taking a pioneering step to make environmental data publicly accessible, the canton is enabling transparent, informed, and long-term action toward cleaner air and climate neutrality – and Sweden is proud to support this important initiative,” she noted.

The Prime Minister of the Sarajevo Canton, Nihad Uk, stressed that the new register allows the government to plan measures more accurately, apply for international funding, and make sustainable decisions based on relevant data.

Softić Kadenić: A unique project in BiH

The Minister of Justice and Administration of the Sarajevo Canton, Darja Softić Kadenić, described the project as unique in BiH, since for the first time it introduces a fully digital, accurate, and comprehensive system for monitoring annual emissions into the air.

It is placing Sarajevo Canton among the more advanced European cities, she added.

According to Raduška Cupać, head of the Energy and Environment Sector at UNDP in BiH, the system is more than a technical tool – it is a strategic asset that empowers institutions, companies, and citizens to take concrete steps toward environmental protection.

The register was developed by a consortium of companies Ceteor, E3, and GDI.

Post Views:164
May 9, 2025
by

Europe has record battery storage capacity growth in 2024 but expansion slows

New battery storage installations last year in Europe came in at an all-time high 21.9 GWh in capacity, though the leap wasn’t as impressive as in the previous years. The total reached 61.1 GWh. “If Europe has already entered the solar age, the battery storage age is just beginning,” said Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, which issued the annual report.

Europe marked the eleventh consecutive year of record-breaking battery storage installations – in capacity terms, the addition was 21.9 GWh. According to SolarPower Europe’s update, the new capacity was 15% bigger than in 2023, after effectively doubling for several years in a row.

The battery fleet ended December at 61.1 GWh. The growth rate in 2024 was 56%, compared to the 94% registered one year before.

The region that was tracked consists of the European Union, United Kingdom and Switzerland. The EU alone closed 2024 with 18.5 GWh in newly installed battery storage capacity.

“If Europe has already entered the solar age, the battery storage age is just beginning. With solar energy mainstreaming across the continent, now is the time for European decision makers to put batteries at the centre of a flexible, electrified energy system,” the organization’s Chief Executive Officer Walburga Hemetsberger stated.

She urged the European Commission to double down on its efforts and adopt an action plan as part of a broader energy system flexibility package. “The recent electricity outage in the Iberian Peninsula is a stark reminder of why this is important,” Hemetsberger pointed out.

BESS projection puts EU likely below 2030 target

In the most likely scenario, 29.7 GWh of battery storage will be installed this year, translating to a 36% annual growth in new capacity and 49% in total. The report anticipates a sixfold increase to 118 GWh added in 2029. It would bring the entirety of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to 399 GWh, of which 334 GWh in the EU.

However, it is far below the levels required to meet flexibility needs in a renewables-driven energy system, the annual report’s authors warned. A study showed that the EU needs 780 GWh by 2030 to fully support the transition.

This year the share of the new front-of-meter BESS, in the utility scale segment, is seen at 55%, against last year’s 40%. The absolute level would nearly double. As for behind the meter, commercial and industrial (C&I) systems grow to 12% from 10% of the new fleet while residential installations decline from 50% to 33% in 2025.

Drop in power prices from crisis levels faded appeal of battery storage capacity

Residential battery deployment declined by 11% in 2024 after years of rapid growth. The report attributes it to the drop in electricity prices when the energy crisis subsided, the removal or reduction of subsidies in key markets and a parallel decline in the deployment of residential solar power units.

Home batteries account for 57% of the whole cumulative level.

New large-scale grid batteries surged 79% against 2023, marking a turning point for utility-scale storage.

Last year new C&I installations were 17% bigger, remain below their potential and holding at one tenth of the whole capacity for several years now, the document shows. Companies in the segment generally invest in battery storage to maximize self-consumption from on-site photovoltaics, avoid peak demand charges and reduce reliance on backup diesel generators.

Additionally, solar and storage allow businesses to meet corporate sustainability targets by reducing carbon footprint of operations. Lastly, the electrification of production processes, heating, and transport fleets is driving unique use cases and a need for storage.

Spain lags but seen rebounding, reaching top five in 2025

The top growers and their positions in the chart were the same as in 2023: Germany (6.2 GWh), Italy (6 GWh), the United Kingdom (2.9 GWh), Austria (1.1 GWh) and Sweden (1 GWh). Together they had a 78% share in both new and cumulative installations.

Germany added slightly less on an annual scale than in 2023 amid a drop in newly installed residential units. Italy’s home battery segment also decreased, but the large-scale segment’s capacity surge brought the market to new heights. The UK experienced a temporary slump due to project delays at the large-scale level.

Last year Spain added less than 250 MWh in battery storage capacity, making it the 14th-biggest market in Europe. Overall it reached 1.7 GWh, of which 90% were small-scale systems.

The country’s new battery installations were 41% lower than in 2023. The Spanish market has been declining since 2022, but it is expected to enter the top five this year, with 1.3 GWh, amid a utility-scale segment’s revival.

BESS market requires level playing field

SolarPower Europe said the authorities need to encourage the participation of hybrid projects of solar and BESS in renewable energy auctions.

“Contracts for difference must be settled based on energy production rather than energy injection. This will allow the asset operator to receive the CfD for the PV asset while generating additional market-based revenues from the BESS. These extra revenues will eventually lead to lower bids from developers and reduce the support costs for society,” the document reads.

The EU must ensure transmission system operators (TSOs) procure balancing services in market-based procedures in which batteries can compete on a level playing field, the organization added. Some EU markets still rely on bilateral contracts that limit fair competition and exclude smaller storage assets, it underscored.

Post Views:58