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April 17, 2025
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Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović gets third mandate; Sara Pavkov takes over environment

The National Assembly of Serbia reelected Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović for her third term. The youngest member of the new cabinet, led by Prime Minister Đuro Macut, is the new Minister of Environmental Protection – Sara Pavkov.

Members of parliament voted in the new Government of Serbia today with 153 in favor and 46 against the proposal, while 51 lawmakers were absent from the session. The lineup under Prime Minister Đuro Macut, who has just entered the political arena now, includes Sara Pavkov, responsible for environmental protection. At 33, she is the youngest member of the cabinet.

Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović was elected for her third mandate.

At 33 years old, Sara Pavkov is the youngest minister in the team of new Prime Minister Đuro Macut

Pavkov holds a graduate and master’s degree from the biology and ecology department of the University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences (FTN). She is a doctoral candidate and research intern at the faculty, according to her official biography.

Since 2022, she has served as a state secretary at the Ministry of Environmental Protection. Before that, she was the chief of staff since June 2021, after holding the position of special advisor for environmental protection from November 2020.

As one of the vice-presidents of the Bureau of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Sara Pavkov participated in the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.

From 2013 to 2020, she coordinated more than 20 civil society projects for environmental protection. The new minister has authored or coauthored 11 scientific and professional papers in the same field.

She joined the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012. Since November 2021, Sara Pavkov has been a member of its presidency.

Third run for Dubravka Đedović Handanović as minister of mining and energy

Dubravka Đedović Handanović was first elected minister of environment and energy in October 2022 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Ana Brnabić. She was reappointed last May, when Miloš Vučević became the prime minister of Serbia.

Before becoming minister, she was a member of the Executive Board of NLB Komercijalna banka, responsible for corporate and investment banking. She has an international experience in banking of more than 16 years.

Minister Đedović Handanović, who remained in position in the new government, has worked in the EIB

Đedović Handanović has graduated in banking and finance from the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade and obtained her master’s degree in finance and management from SDA Bocconi University in Milan and the Anderson School of Management at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).

She headed the Regional Office of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the Western Balkans from 2016 to 2021, before moving to NLB Komercijalna banka.

Until the start of her tenure in Belgrade, Dubravka Đedović Handanović was the manager for Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia at the headquarters of the EIB in Luxembourg. It is the European Union’s main lending institution. She was also in charge of public-private partnership projects and project financing in countries including Ireland, France, the United Kingdom and the Benelux.

Before starting her career in banking, the reelected minister of mining and energy worked in the media and communications sector.

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April 17, 2025
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Energy Advisory Center established in Knjaževac in Serbia for citizens, firms

Knjaževac in Serbia got an Energy Advisory Center, intended for all citizens and small entrepreneurs who want to save energy, reduce costs, and improve their living and working conditions, as well as for those considering or already implementing energy efficiency measures.

The opening of the Energy Advisory Center in Knjaževac, a town in eastern Serbia, was marked by holding a roundtable discussion with local partners. At the event, the representatives of institutions, public companies, organizations, and the business sector were invited to join the facility’s mission and contribute to the dissemination of knowledge within their respective fields.

“Energy efficiency needs to become a higher priority for everyone. That’s why we need an Energy Advisory Center that communicates with all members of the local community, and not just subsidy beneficiaries,” said Daniela Kostadinova, senior advisor in the project Promotion of Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency in Serbia, implemented by GIZ.

She added that investing in expanding the scope of the center – which provides not only financial but also advisory support – contributes to an improved quality of life for a greater number of citizens and to a better understanding of their needs.

The Energy Advisory Center in Knjaževac will offer free advice to all interested citizens and entrepreneurs on energy efficiency and investment opportunities in renewable energy sources. Visitors will also be able to get information on subsidies and other financing options for such investments and learn from examples of good practice.

“The opening of the Energy Advisory Center represents an important step toward improving the quality of life of our fellow citizens. By providing relevant information and advice, we are enabling both citizens and businesses to use energy more efficiently, reduce their costs, or even generate new income,” said Milan Đokić, Mayor of Knjaževac.

The center will be operated by the municipality’s enterprise for development, urban development and construction. It is located in its premises, too. The public firm’s director Mladen Radosavljević stated at the opening that the center would be open for one-on-one consultations, group discussions on various topics, and for providing all necessary advice related to energy efficiency.

The establishment of the Energy Advisory Center in Knjaževac was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in cooperation with the Regional Development Agency of Eastern Serbia (RARIS). The project was implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

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April 17, 2025
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Montenegro’s power consumption grows 25%

Electricity consumption in Montenegro has risen by 25% over the past four years, driven, among other factors, by solar power expansion. The installed capacity of photovoltaic plants amounts to around 80 MW, and it is expected to exceed 100 MW by the end of the year.

Jovan Kasalica, executive manager of the supply department in power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG), attributed the surge in electricity consumption both to a low price of electricity and the growing contribution of solar power plants.

“The majority of this increase is linked to the heating sector, especially in central and northern Montenegro. We are making a significant contribution to decarbonization in the region, which we will document with precise data,” Kasalica noted at the international conference Energy 2025, held in the Zlatibor mountain in Serbia.

Rooftop solar is capacity is increasing

He said the development of the solar power segment was successful. Currently, nearly 80 MW of solar capacity is operational in Montenegro.

The Solari 3000+ and 500+ project brought online 30 MW of solar panels, and the second project, Solari 5000+, which aims for another 70 MW, is currently in advanced stages.

The initiatives focus on installing photovoltaics on the roofs of households and businesses, enabling citizens and entrepreneurs to produce electricity for self-consumption and become prosumers.

The Gvozd wind farm is set to be connected to the grid by the of the year

By the end of the year, it is anticipated that the total capacity of PV facilities in Montenegro will surpass the planned 100 MW, according to Kasalica.

He further noted that the company didn’t have any additional costs for the Solari 3000+ project, because the loans for the installation were switched to the funding facilities and consumers. The project has resulted in lower bills and greater energy efficiency, Kasalica said.

Additionally, he announced plans to connect the 54 MW Gvozd wind farm to the grid by the end of the year.

In addition to increasing the number of prosumers in Montenegro, EPCG plans to install ground-mounted solar power plants and to put online a total capacity of 200 MW within the next three years.

The company has also recently kicked off the main phase of the so-called ecological reconstruction of the Pljevlja thermal power plant. The only coal-fired facility in Montenegro won’t produce electricity until November.

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April 17, 2025
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Montenegro’s EPCG, DSO, TSO to establish Consolidated Data Center

The three key companies in the electricity sector of Montenegro – Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG), distribution system operator (DSO) CEDIS, and transmission system operator (TSO) CGES – have signed a letter of intent to start strategic cooperation on the installation of the Consolidated Data Center (CDC).

The initiative for the construction of the Consolidated Data Center represents a significant step towards the digital transformation of the Montenegrin power system and the establishment of a modern information hub, according to EPCG, CEDIS, and CGES.

Within the partnership, the three companies are jointly invest resources and know-how to create a technologically advanced data management system and digital services. The Consolidated Data Center will be located in the Željezara Nikšić industrial complex.

CDC’s capacity could be used commercially for the needs of other institutions and businesses

Apart from CDC’s primary role, the modernization of the state-owned power companies, its capacity could offer services to other institutions and companies.

The signatories have already initiated the first step – the preparation of a feasibility study that will define the technical and economic parameters of the project. Based on its results, a special agreement will be adopted to specify the next steps.

EPCG CEO Ivan Bulatović said the Consolidated Data Center isn’t just an infrastructure project.

Bulatović: The goal is to create a system set for the challenges of the future

“It is the foundation of digital transformation that will enable more accurate data analysis, greater efficiency in decision making, and a safer power system. Our goal is to create a system set for future challenges. Digitalization is an inevitable step in the modernization of the sector, and CDC is a key segment of that process,” Bulatović stressed.

According to Vladimir Ivanović, CEDIS CEO, the cooperation of key Montenegrin energy companies is significant, as is providing support to other businesses.

Ivanović: CDC to enable better coordination between companies

“The development of the power system doesn’t only mean investments in the grid and capacities, but also in smart solutions enabling greater flexibility and safety in operations,” Ivanović noted.

He underlined the CDC’s role in improving coordination between companies, reduction of operating costs, and improvement of IT infrastructure.

Asanović: A strong step forward in the modernization of the sector

CGES CEO Ivan Asanović stressed the project’s importance for digitalization and the creation of a system that will enable more efficient management of power resources at the level of the entire country.

CDC represents a strong step forward in upgrading the sector and ensures a better connection between all key participants in the power system, according to Asanović.

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April 17, 2025
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Solar park of 46.6 MW integrated with Turkey’s fifth-largest wind farm

The newest hybrid power plant in Turkey consists of wind turbines of 168 MW and a solar park with 46.6 MW in capacity. Polat Enerji is about to expand the Geycek facility with a 10 MW battery energy storage system.

Hybrid power plants are all the rage in Turkey and the ones coming online are bigger and bigger. The latest addition to the fleet is Polat Enerji’s Geycek facility. It is the country’s fifth-largest wind park, and now it also features a 46.6 MW photovoltaic unit. It is classified as an auxiliary source in domestic law.

That’s not all. The company, which has been pioneering the technology in Turkey, contracted a battery energy storage system (BESS) two months ago. T Dinamik Enerji’s subsidiary Tegnatia is tasked with installing a Sungrow unit with 10 MW in operating power and 13.4 MWh in capacity.

Polat Enerji is turning Geycek into Turkey’s first utility-scale hybrid of wind, solar power and BESS

It would be the country’s first wind-solar-battery hybrid on a utility scale. Polat Enerji said it would be commissioned “in the near future.”

Geycek is in Mucur district in the province of Kırşehir, southeast of Ankara. The wind park has 168 MW.

The contractor for the solar power segment was SPI (Schmid Pekintaş Investments) Energy Solutions. The Schmid Pekintaş joint venture supplied the PV panels.

Polat also operates Turkey’s largest wind power plant – Soma. It recently expanded it by 8.4 MW in nameplate capacity, or 8 MW effectively, reaching 328.9 MW and 304.1 MW, respectively. It is the first such facility in the country with over 300 MW on the grid.

The Soma wind park includes a small BESS unit – 4 MW of capability and a one-hour duration, translating to 4 MWh.

Polat Enerji is a joint venture of Polat Holding and İş Enerji Yatirimlari, each holding 50%. The latter is a subsidiary of Türkiye İş Bankası, the largest private sector bank in Turkey.

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April 17, 2025
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Croatia grants EUR 30 million to firms for renewables, energy efficiency

The Croatian government has approved EUR 30 million in grants to businesses for investments in renewable energy production and energy efficiency measures.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition and the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund (EPEEF or FZOEU) have awarded 46 grant contracts to companies for projects focused on generating electricity from renewables and energy efficiency in the processing industry.

The proposals were selected via the European Union’s Modernisation Fund under the public calls ‘Production of electricity from renewable energy sources in the processing and heating industry’ and ‘Investment in energy efficiency measures and high-efficiency cogeneration in the processing industry’.

The ministry has received 141 applications

A total of 141 project proposals were submitted within the first call, with 103 involving photovoltaic plants and one for a biomass power facility. The second public call attracted 37 projects.

According to Luka Balen, manager of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, the contracts should serve as business drivers for entrepreneurs promoting renewable energy production and supporting the green transition.

Energy self-sufficiency and renewable energy production are key priorities of the Government of Croatia, he argued.

Projects with a total value of almost EUR 90 million have received grants

Minister of Environmental Protection and Green Transition Marija Vučković revealed that EUR 30 million was allocated to the projects, with a total value exceeding EUR 87 million.

In her words, they are intended for the production of electricity from renewable sources and measures for energy efficiency and highly efficient cogeneration in the processing industry. Vučković pointed out the projects would result in significant electricity savings and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The companies will benefit from cost savings, opportunities to adopt new technologies, and a quick rise in income, the minister added.

Of note, the Modernisation Fund is an EU program financially supporting upgrades in energy systems and the improvement of energy efficiency in 13 lower-income member states.

Established in 2018 for the 2021-2030 period, it aims to help the beneficiary countries achieve their climate targets and the objectives of the European Green Deal. It is financed by revenues from the auctioning of emission allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).

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