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April 24, 2025
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Two PV parks of 117 MW in total coming online near Bucharest

Eximprod Grup is about to commission a 65 MW photovoltaic facility in Prahova county, north of Bucharest, before adding a battery system, and Simtel obtained financing for the completion of a 52 MW solar power plant in Giurgiu, south of Romania’s capital city. Additionally, the developer of a project of a similar size in Alba county in Transylvania, including energy storage, applied for an environmental permit.

Eximprod Group said it completed a solar park of 49.5 MW in connection capacity in Ciorani, Prahova county, north of Bucharest. Commissioning and grid integration are underway.

According to its documentation, the facility has 65 MW in peak capacity. It consists of five units with 9.9 MW in grid connections each.

The PV plant is coming online through a 20/110 kV power station and a single metering point. Eximprod, controlled by investors Manole Gheorghe and Vasile Domente, thanked Transelectrica, DEER, Ostenweg Sysplan SRL and Alive Capital for cooperation in the project. The company bought 590 W solar panels.

Eximprod has won a EUR 13.4 million grant for the Ciorani project from NRRP

The EUR 56.2 million endeavor includes a grant of EUR 13.4 million from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP or, in Romanian, PNRR). It is part of the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

Eximprod invested in the solar park, which features trackers, through its project firm Solar System Project. The facility was built on an 89-hectare land plot. It is located next to a solar power plant of the same owners, with a 15.5 MW connection and 20 MW in peak capacity.

The company plans to add a 21 MW battery energy storage system to the Ciorani PV park. Eximprod recently completed the first of seven foundations of a 38.4 MW wind park in Galați county in the region of Western Moldavia.

Banca Transilvania approves loans for large solar power project in Giurgiu

The Giurgiu county, west and south of Romania’s capital city, is emerging as one of the country’s solar power and energy storage hubs. Major projects are being materialized in other areas around Bucharest as well. Engineering company Simtelhttps://balkangreenenergynews.com/imports-from-china-dont-exceed-26-of-pv-project-costs-in-romania/ said it has signed financing contracts for a PV plant of 52 MW in peak capacity, which is 80% finished.

Annual output is estimated at 69 GWh.

Banca Transilvania, Romania’s largest, has approved a ten-year investment loan of EUR 16 million and a bridge loan of EUR 12.2 million. The latter is denominated in local currency and matures in March 2026.

Simtel has completed its first three smaller PV plants

“Since 2023, with the completion of our first proprietary photovoltaic park in Pleșoiu, our company has entered a new stage of development, becoming an electricity producer. The Giurgiu project represents an important step in this direction, as it covers more than half of the total capacity we aim to have completed and operational in our portfolio by mid-2026,” said Simtel Team’s Chief Executive Officer Mihai Tudor.

Romania has supported the investment in Giurgiu through NRRP. The bridge loan covers the financing needs before the company collects the grant.

Simtel, which is also a contractor, has completed three of its PV projects – in Pleșoiu, Salonta, and Iacobeni. Four others are in various stages of construction or permitting – in Anina, Ianca, Mangalia, and Movilița. Together with the facility in Giurgiu, their combined peak capacity is above 83 MW. The eight units will generate an estimated 111 GWh per year.

The company is listed on the main market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE). Simtel offers consultancy services, authorization, design, engineering, construction, maintenance, operation, measurement, control, and energy supply. It was founded in 2010 by Iulian Nedea, Sergiu Bazarciuc and Radu Vilău.

Solar-BESS hybrid power plant project on monastery land in Alba is worth EUR 53.1 million

As for other relevant news in Romania, Bucharest-based Ponor Energy requested an environmental approval for a solar power project of 56.7 MW in peak capacity, which would include batteries. The site is in Ponor commune in Transylvania’s Alba county, spanning 48.6 hectares. The firm leased monastery land for 25 years.

The facility would consist of 166 Huawei inverters of 49.8 MW in total and Trina Solar’s 85,852 bifacial panels of 660 W. The battery segment would have 81.5 MWh in capacity.

Excluding value-added tax, the investment is worth an estimated EUR 53.1 million.

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April 24, 2025
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Greece’s DEPA Commercial picks contractors for PV plants of 500 MW

Construction companies Terna and Aktor are about to start building a solar power plant of 400 MW in northern Greece and another 100 MW near Larissa, for state-owned DEPA Commercial, according to a new report. In its switch toward cleaner sources, the gas holding has also finished the construction of its biomethane plant.

Greek state-controlled gas supplier, importer and trader DEPA Commercial has completed the tenders for photovoltaic parks of 500 MW overall, OT learned. The 400 MW facility in Kozani in the Western Macedonia province would currently be the largest in the country.

However, Lightsource bp, owned by BP, started the construction of a 560 MW solar park last summer in Central Greece and Thessaly. State-controlled Public Power Corp. (PPC or DEI) is about to finish a 550 MW photovoltaic facility in Ptolemaida, near Kozani.

DEPA Commercial is also known as DEPA Emporias (in Greek), DEPA Commerce and DEPA Trading. Both for the giant PV plant in northern Greece and another 100 MW in Farsala, Larissa, it selected the consortium of Terna, part of the GEK Terna conglomerate, and Ellaktor’s Aktor.

The turnkey deals are worth EUR 270 million in total

The turnkey agreements are worth a combined EUR 270 million. The company obtained a EUR 390 million loan in July from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for its photovoltaic projects. The portfolio amounted to 816 MW.

The projects, which are at various stages of maturity, are conducted under subsidiaries North Solar, North Solar 1 and New Spes Concept.

DEPA Commercial’s new move comes after the government bought a 35% stake from Helleniq Energy. The company is now fully owned by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF or TAIPED). The transaction was completed at the turn of the year, when the vehicle also integrated the so-called Superfund.

DEPA Commercial starts producing biomethane for its fuel stations

Within its energy transition efforts, the gas giant is entering biomethane production as well. DEPA Commercial said early this month that it produced Greece’s first quantities of the fuel.

The new pilot unit, Farma Hitas (Chitas) in Filippiada in the country’s west, makes 97% pure methane and compresses it. The bio-CNG goes to the company’s Fisikon gas stations, where it is mixed with natural (fossil) gas and sold as vehicle fuel.

Ownership stakes in Alexandroupolis gas complex, IGB pipeline

As for its conventional business operations, DEPA Commercial holds a 29% stake in special purpose firm Ilektroparagogi Alexandroupolis (Alexandroupolis Electricity Production). PPC is the majority partner, with 71%.

They are building a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) of 840 MW. In addition, DEPA Commercial owns 20% of the Alexandroupolis LNG Terminal and 25% of ICGB, which operates the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) gas pipeline.

The company is participating in the Fier Thermoelectric project for a 174 MW gas power plant in Albania. DEPA Commercial intends to supply some of the renewable electricity that it generates to its wholly-owned subsidiary Fysiko Aerio – Hellenic Energy Co. The gas and electricity distributor has more than 530,000 customers.

Notably, DEPA Commercial already owns an aggregator license – FOSE, allowing it to trade in the wholesale power market on behalf of a group of producers.

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April 24, 2025
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Bulgaria grants EUR 587 million to 82 battery storage projects

Developers of 82 standalone battery storage projects in Bulgaria, for an overall 9.71 GWh in capacity, got approval for EUR 587 million in subsidies from the Ministry of Energy. Another 30 landed below the line, but the government intends to boost the program by EUR 120 million.

More than four months after the deadline for applications, the Ministry of Energy of Bulgaria ranked 112 projects for standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS). Through the RESTORE call for grants, it approved EUR 587 million for 82 of them, exhausting the budget.

The scheme is part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), which the European Commission controls.

The selected investments envisage an overall 9.71 GWh of storage capacity, compared to the target of at least 3 GWh. The aim is to provide balancing to enable a significant increase in the share of wind and solar power in the energy mix, as well as to ensure the security and stability of the country’s electricity system. The facilities will be connected to the grid at both the transmission and distribution levels.

Notably, Bulgaria is struggling to meet the conditions and deadlines for NRRP funding, including for battery projects. Moreover, the ministry apparently decided not to move forward with a second call for subsidies for households for solar panels with or without batteries, and for solar collectors. It risks losing the European Union’s funding.

Project underway for 125 MW battery system in Burgas

The largest selected investment is BESS Burgas. The project is worth EUR 90 million, of which the grant would cover 26.5%. The proposed facility would have 125 MW in operating power and a four-hour duration, translating to 500 MWh.

The list lacks data on planned capacities for many of the projects. Among them is the one from ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 (Maritsa iztok 3), the operator of a coal power plant that recently ceased operations. The company intends to invest EUR 74.5 million, the fifth-highest amount. The ministry said it would provide 40% of the total.

The owner of the recently closed Maritsa East 3 coal power plant won a 40% subsidy for its EUR 74.5 million BESS proposal

Weapons and ammunition producer Arsenal 2000 won a 44% subsidy for its EUR 48.9 million project. It intends to install a BESS of 80 MW and 350 MWh. One of the selected proposals is called Verila Solar Park 2. The share of the approved grant in the EUR 65.7 million investment is 32%.

Toki Storage stands out among the beneficiaries with 11 approved projects of the same size and valuation: 10 MW, 40 MWh and EUR 6 million each. The grants would cover 30% to 39.3%.

NEK fails to qualify with its project for battery system at Topolnitsa hydropower plant

Out of 151 applications, 118 initially passed to the ranking stage. The ministry said they were worth a combined EUR 838 million. The 30 projects in reserve are worth EUR 212 million, it added.

They include proposals from coal plant operators Toplofikatsiya Pernik and Bobov Dol. The ministry rejected four projects, of which one from state-owned National Electricity Co. (NEK), for a 20 MWh battery unit at its Topolnitsa hydropower plant.

According to consulting firm New I, involved in more than 40% of the winners in the call, they are worth EUR 1.59 billion altogether, Bulgarian language EU Funds website reported. Requested support ranges between just below EUR 40,000 per MWh and EUR 80,000 per MWh, and the weighted average came in at EUR 60,000 per MWh, it revealed.

Many of the 151 projects were duplicated, the article adds.

Importantly, the government has proposed increasing the RESTORE program by EUR 120.6 million, which would be sufficient for at least 20 projects in the reserve group.

The ministry was supposed to select the beneficiaries by January. The deadline for drawing the EU funds is June next year, so the developers must rush to install their battery systems – but first they need to sign contracts with the government.

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April 23, 2025
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Energoinvest inaugurates transformers made in BiH

Bosnia and Herzegovina-based company Energoinvest has manufactured the first domestic transformers under its brand.

Energoinvest plans to develop its production capabilities in the energy sector, demonstrating a clear commitment to revitalizing its brand.

A significant milestone in the endeavor was signing a strategic partnership with Turkish company Ares Trafo Ekipmanlari. The event has also marked the start of the production of transformers up to 7 MVA under the Energoinvest brand.

It has never happened before in BiH, the company said.

The first contracts for the delivery of the equipment have already been already signed

Of note, Energoinvest and Ares Trafo Ekipmanlari began discussions in February on the production of transformers in BiH as well as on cooperation in other markets. The outcome was the strategic partnership agreement.

Now, just one month later, Energoinvest unveiled the first batch of transformers, which were symbolically painted in the colors of the national flag. The company said the first orders came from three new markets: the United Kingdom, Belgium and Serbia.

Currently, the company operates in over 20 countries.

The official presentation of the transformers took place in Tuzla at a conference called Energetski Zaokret, organized by the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry of the Federation of BiH, one of the two entities in BiH.

Photo: Energoinvest

It was attended by Vedran Lakić, Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry of the Federation of BiH, Nermin Nikšić, Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, and Energoinvest CEO Mirza Ustamujić.

Lakić: Transformers are among the most sought equipment in the global market

Ustamujić said the new management made substantial progress in financial stabilization and improvement of business operations.

“This is a symbol of patriotism, collaboration, and confidence in our domestic capabilities. When we believe in ourselves, there are no limits. This is the beginning of a new industrial era for Bosnia and Herzegovina and a wonderful gift for the 74th anniversary of Energoinvest,” he stated.

According to Minister Vedran Lakić, the showcased products offer hope that BiH would become one of the most important players in transformer production.

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April 23, 2025
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Bulgaria canceling sale of equipment for its Belene nuclear plant to Ukraine

Bulgaria’s minority government decided to call off the planned sale of equipment from the failed Belene nuclear power project to Ukraine’s Energoatom and reactivate the plans. There is an idea to attract investments in data centers that could be supplied with the electricity. At the same time, state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding is preparing to build two more reactors at the existing Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

The chronic political crisis in Bulgaria, lasting more than four years, has led to another controversy with regard to the Belene nuclear power project. The investment was canceled and restarted several times since the Russian equipment arrived in the late 1980s.

The National Assembly voted in 2023 to start negotiations on the proposed sale to Ukrainian state-owned Energoatom for its Khmelnytsky nuclear power project. However, last week the representatives of the ruling coalition said they decided to keep the equipment.

Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov, head of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), said nuclear energy development is the right way forward for the country and its people. “Electricity prices are rising around the world. The world is facing continued energy insecurity, and nuclear power is a stable and predictable source. We have the site, we have the reactors, we have the experts – everything is in our hands,” he stated.

Borissov wants Americans in data center project

BSP is a junior partner in the minority government, which came into office in January. Socialists have been pushing to cancel the equipment sale from earlier, but now the largest party completely changed its stance. Boyko Borissov, the leader of GERB – Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria and former prime minister, explained that large technology companies are interested in building data centers for artificial intelligence.

Experts have valued the stored equipment at EUR 734 million

The idea is to attract such an investment and use the Russian reactors in Belene to power it, Kapital reported. If it doesn’t work out, the equipment can be sold. According to the media outlet, Borissov is planning to discuss the matter with “the Americans.”

Of note, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov is from GERB. The article adds that experts valued the assets in storage at EUR 734 million, of which the reactors are worth EUR 409 million. Bulgaria’s parliament has set the lowest price at EUR 602 million. Now it will need to vote again to block the potential deal.

Obsolete Belene project would face huge funding challenge

The news website attributed Borissov’s turnaround to the new geopolitical situation between the United States, Ukraine and Russia. It added that the project is outdated and that it wouldn’t be completed for another 20 years anyway. There is also the issue of funding: the investment requires at least EUR 10.2 billion more and another EUR 1.53 billion for the transmission network and other infrastructure.

Moreover, the same or similar challenges were there five and ten years ago as well.

Most importantly, Bulgaria is already preparing to build two more units at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, in cooperation with  Westinghouse Electric. State-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding is controlling the project.

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April 23, 2025
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Italy mulls keeping its last coal plants on standby

After retiring the two remaining mainland coal power plants, scheduled for this year, Italy’s government intends to switch the facilities to standby instead of dismantling them. Two others are on the island of Sardinia, which is waiting for another subsea interconnection to complete the coal phaseout.

Italy has 4.7 GW in coal power capacity left, following the recent retirement of A2A’s plant in Monfalcone, on the border with Slovenia. The two facilities that remained on the mainland are only marginally active and they are officially set to be closed this year. However, Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin expressed the belief that they should be kept on standby.

“Therefore, not producing, because it is not economically suitable. But the geopolitics are still in a state where no one can guarantee us that gas will not reach EUR 70 per MWh or that there will be no malfunctions in the pipelines that supply us,” he argued. The said facilities, already dormant as they are not cost-effective, should be kept just in case, in the view of the minister. He didn’t address the pollution issue.

Provisional data showed that coal power output nosedived 71% in 2024 to 3.5 TWh. It translated to a share of 1.3% in electricity production and 1.1% in consumption.

On the one hand, the capacities would be valuable in case of gas and power supply disturbances. But it comes at the cost of maintaining a complex system idle.

Sardinia may remain dependent on coal by 2029

The two mainland coal plants are Enel’s Torrevaldaliga Nord in Civitavecchia and Brindisi Sud.

There are two more, in Sardinia, scheduled to be phased out by January 2029. By then, the island’s interconnection with the main grid should be strengthened with the proposed Tyrrhenian Link. The Sulcis coal plant is also Enel’s, and the other one is EP Produzione’s Fiume Santo power plant. Together, they have 1.1 GW in nominal capacity.

Speaking at the same event, Chief Executive Officer of Enel Flavio Cattaneo warned of the expected surge in power consumption, suggesting the coal exit be reconsidered. The “perfectly functioning” plants, which “saved” Italy during the gas crisis, will be closed by August, he stressed. The company is open to selling its coal assets, Cattaneo said and hinted at the possibility that the government buys them.

AI, data centers bolstering demand for nuclear energy, gas, coal

Eni’s CEO Claudio Descalzi said it was “pure madness” to close coal-fired power plants “in a situation of high costs or low energy availability.” He cited the rise of artificial intelligence and data centers, boosting energy demand, and the need to keep costs low. “It is only possible with nuclear, gas and coal,” Descalzi claimed.

Closing coal plants is not in the country’s interest, said Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini.

A group of environmental organizations called it unacceptable in 2025 to propose coal to be part of the energy mix.

Italy is no longer buying Russian gas

Minister Pichetto Fratin also said Italy has stopped buying gas from Russia at the end of last year. It turned to alternatives like liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States, he added.

The country needs to rapidly deploy renewables, in his view, and decouple the prices of electricity and gas. Pichetto Fratin said gas accounts for 40% of power but that it determines 70% of the final price, and criticized the pricing system based on the Netherlands’ TTF benchmark.

The government is considering support for long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) and contracts for difference (CfD), to stabilize prices and become competitive with Germany. It is also the European Union’s policy, under the latest electricity market redesign.

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