Blog – Full Width

  1. Home
  2. Blog – Full Width
October 15, 2025
by

EU-Montenegro Investment Conference: 14 partnerships, MoUs signed for energy, sustainable projects

A total of 14 cooperation projects between Montenegrin and European companies have been initiated at the ongoing European Union-Montenegro Investment Conference, including investments in wind farms, solar parks, energy storage, and grids.

The two-day conference, titled Smart Growth, Green Future: Accelerating Investment in Montenegro, was opened today in Luštica, near Tivat, by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić.

Montenegro’s growing potential for strategic, green, and sustainable investments was presented through new partnerships between leading Montenegrin and European companies, according to a press release by the Government of Montenegro.

The Conference was jointly organized by the government and the European Commission, with the support of the Montenegro Investment Agency (MIA).

State power utility EPCG has signed three memoranda of understanding

State-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) has signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs). One was signed with Akuo for the development of several renewable energy projects, including floating solar, a photovoltaic plant, and energy storage.

The second MoU, signed with SS&A Power Group, envisages the development, manufacture, and installation of thermal energy storage, while the third, with Wind Fisher, concerns a new technology for high-altitude wind power generation.

Alcazar Energy signed a memorandum with the government’s project management office for the development and financing of renewable energy projects. CWP Europe and the Montenegrin Investment Agency (MIA) signed a memorandum on the development of the Montečevo solar farm project with battery storage. The company signed a similar agreement for its project in Albania yesterday.

A memorandum was also signed between Čevo Solar and Grawert Jenny & Partner on battery energy storage systems (BESS). A 20 MW/60 MWh battery is being considered.

Four sustainable investment partnerships were also signed

The Ministry of Energy and Mining and EDF will further discuss the issue of modernizing Montenegro’s power distribution network.

Among the signed documents is an MoU on collaboration between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Erste on a Regional Energy Efficiency Program (REEP), as well as cooperation in the field of wastewater management between Suez and MIA.

In addition, four sustainable investment partnerships were also signed: Farm2Fork Montenegro, Station M, Green Logistics Hub, and Northern Investments Compact for Ecology & Resilience (NICER). Green Logistics Hub refers to the Port of Bar, which aims to become the first net-zero port on the Adriatic. NICER concerns the just transition and is led by the Pljevlja Coal Mine.

Von der Leyen: Do not wait for accession to invest in Montenegro

Photo: Bojan Gnjidić/Vlada Crne Gore

The event brought together senior representatives of the Government of Montenegro, the European Union, international financial institutions, as well as prominent European and Montenegrin investors.

“My message is very clear: do not wait for accession to invest in Montenegro, because by then you may miss the opportunities that others will seize,” Ursula von der Leyen noted.

She stressed that by continuing its European journey with determination and speed, Montenegro is making its goal of EU accession attainable.

“Today, we are opening a new chapter of development—we are beginning a major investment cycle, strengthening our ties with the European market even before formally joining the European family. Today, we are bringing our vision of green and smart growth to life. We are doing this together with our most important strategic partner—the European Union, which is also the largest investor in our country,” Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said.

He recalled that the country plans to close all negotiating chapters with the EU by the end of 2026 and become its 28th member state in 2028.

Photo: Bojan Gnjidić/Vlada Crne Gore
Post Views:75
October 15, 2025
by

Apple signs PPAs in Greece, Romania as part of drive to green its devices’ consumption

As part of efforts to ensure that all electricity consumed by Apple devices is matched with green energy, the United States–based tech giant is facilitating 650 MW of renewables projects across Europe, including through power purchase agreements (PPA). By 2030, wind and solar power plants in Spain, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, and Romania are expected to generate over 1 TWh of clean electricity on behalf of Apple users, the company said.

“By 2030, we want our users to know that all the energy it takes to charge their iPhone or power their Mac is matched with clean electricity,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives.

In Greece, Apple has signed a long-term PPA to procure power from a 110 MW solar project owned by HELLENiQ Energy. The plant, which is already fully operational, is located in Kozani in northern Greece.

Apple has signed a long-term power purchase agreement for a 110 MW solar plant in Greece

In Romania, the company plans to procure power from the 99 MW Green Breeze wind farm, located in Galați County, through a long-term virtual power purchase agreement (vPPA). The facility, which is scheduled to start operations in the first half of 2026, was initiated by Sweden-based OX2 and later sold to Nala Renewables.

In Italy, Apple is supporting the development of a 129 MW portfolio of solar and wind projects. The first of the facilities, a photovoltaic plant in Sicily, is expected to come online this month.

The project backed by Apple in Poland is for Econergy’s 40 MW solar array, which is expected to be operational later this year. In Latvia, the tech giant has signed one of the country’s first corporate PPAs. It will procure electricity from European Energy’s 110 MW solar power plant, set to be one of the largest in Latvia once completed.

The 131 MW Castaño solar farm in Spain came online earlier this year

The 131 MW Castaño solar farm in Segovia in Spain, operated by ib vogt, became operational earlier this year.

Post Views:32
October 15, 2025
by

Renalfa IPP expands its Tenevo, Kaolinovo PV plants in Bulgaria with batteries

Vienna-based Renalfa IPP commissioned a 65 MW / 260 MWh battery energy storage system within its hybrid power plant project in Tenevo. Also in Bulgaria, the joint venture expanded its Kaolinovo solar power plant to 33 MW and added a BESS of 33 MW in operating power and 110 MWh in capacity.

One of the biggest hybrid power plants in Southeastern Europe is gradually coming together. Renalfa IPP, which last year marked the start of the BESS boom in Bulgaria, said it added a battery system of 65 MW in capability and 110 MWh in capacity to the Tenevo solar power plant.

Project firm Tenevo Solar Technologies is a joint venture with Denmark-based Eurowind Energy. Renalfa IPP, headquartered in Austria’s capital city, is itself a joint venture, established by clean energy and e-mobility company Renalfa Solarpro Group and French renewable energy infrastructure fund manager RGreen Invest.

Ultimately, the plan is to build a 250 MW wind farm at the Tenevo site, in Yambol province in Bulgaria’s southeast. The first 69 MW in peak capacity of the solar power plant came online two months ago, within a 237.6 MW project.

Tenevo BESS to grow to 315 MW

Tenevo is one of the biggest co-located BESS projects in Europe to date, according to Renalfa IPP, which added that it surpassed 1 GWh of energy storage in operation.

The firm aims to increase the battery facility to 315 MW and 760 MWh by early next year, when it expects to complete the solar park as well.

Solarpro Bulgaria builds both battery storage facilities

The project manager for the Tenevo BESS is Solarpro Bulgaria, part of Renalfa Solarpro Group, while Hithium and Kehua supplied the equipment. Solarpro and Hithium established cooperation two years ago and recently expanded it.

The same affiliate was the project manager and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the expansion of the Kaolinovo photovoltaic park in northeastern Bulgaria. Renalfa IPP said it grew to 33 MW in peak capacity from 10 MW, while a BESS of 33 MW and 110 MWh was also added. The facility was built in 2012.

Renalfa IPP is also active in Hungary, Romania, and North Macedonia, where it is about to add batteries to its Oslomej PV plant. In the last update, it said it has 554 MW in operational generating assets, BESS of 455 MW and 1.01 GWh in total, and over 1 GW of projects in late-stage development.

Post Views:29
October 14, 2025
by

Rooftop solar on public buildings gains momentum in Slovenia

The trend of installing rooftop solar on public buildings to create energy communities is gaining momentum in Slovenia, with two more cities, Velenje and Kranj, joining the initiative. Similar projects were recently announced in Celje, Šoštanj, and Novo Mesto.

Velenje plans to install solar power plants on 13 public buildings in cooperation with ECE, a subsidiary of state power utility Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE). The total capacity of the proposed installations is about 1.97 MW, with an estimated annual electricity output of more than 2.1 GWh.

The project, valued at EUR 1.97 million, is expected to save the municipality over EUR 157,000 in electricity costs annually. Financing is provided through the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The municipality itself is contributing EUR 530,755.

This model involves the internal exchange of produced electricity, enabling municipalities to optimize consumption and reduce dependence on the market. Photovoltaic plants are installed on the roofs of structures such as sports facilities, administrative buildings, health centers, bus stations, schools, and kindergartens.

Energy communities help municipalities increase energy independence

In Kranj, 16 rooftop solar power plants, with a total capacity of 2 MW, will be installed on public buildings, in a EUR 1.5 million public-private partnership project carried out in cooperation with GEN-I. The municipality has obtained a state subsidy of EUR 700,000, while the remaining amount will be provided by the private partner.

The new solar power plants should be installed by next summer. They are expected to provide electricity for a total of 22 public buildings, cutting their electricity bills in half, according to a statement from the local authority. Kranj already has two rooftop solar plants on public buildings, installed in 2012 and 2013 respectively, it recalled.

In September, contracts were signed in Celje, Šoštanj, and Novo Mesto to install rooftop solar power plants on public facilities.

The project in Celje involves 11 installations with a total capacity of 1.4 MW, which is expected to bring about EUR 200,000 in annual savings. The contract in Šoštanj is for power plants at four public facilities, totaling 500 kW, with expected annual savings of EUR 70,000. In Novo Mesto, a private partner plans to build and operate ten new solar power plants on municipal land and structures.

Post Views:23
October 14, 2025
by

EU, Serbia to support ElevenEs in battery cell manufacturing expansion

At the EU–Western Balkans Investment Forum in Tirana, Serbian company ElevenEs signed a joint declaration of support with representatives of the European Commission and the Development Agency of Serbia, marking a major step toward expanding battery cell manufacturing in the region.

ElevenEs CEO Nemanja Mikać signed the document in the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The joint declaration of support recognizes the company’s battery manufacturing expansion as a project aligned with the European Green Deal and Global Gateway strategy. The initiative highlights ElevenEs’s role in supporting the European Union’s decarbonization goals across the energy, transport, and industrial sectors.

The signing ceremony took place on the first day of the inaugural EU–Western Balkans Investment Forum, which is supported by the European Commission and aims to enhance economic cooperation and investment opportunities between European Union member states and Western Balkan partners.

“Signing this joint declaration of support with the European Commission and the Serbian Development Agency is an important recognition of the quality of the prismatic LFP blade cells battery we produce, and ElevenEs’s upcoming contribution to the EU’s decarbonization efforts, and the economic and industrial development across the region”, Mikać said.

With a EUR 700 million investment in two phases, ElevenEs will create roughly 1,000 jobs in Serbia

Mikać said the Western Balkans have the potential to become a key location for Europe’s energy storage industry, emphasizing that his company’s technological expertise and commitment to innovation demonstrate the region’s capability to be a reliable partner for the EU’s battery supply chain.

With an investment of EUR 700 million planned in two phases, ElevenEs aims to establish Serbia and the Western Balkans as a key hub for LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) battery cell production, creating around 1,000 new jobs. The company’s LFP blade cells are designed to meet Europe’s growing demand for batteries used in electric vehicles and stationary energy storage systems.

Founded in 2022 as a spin-out from Al Pack Group, ElevenEs is building Europe’s first LFP gigafactory in Subotica. The company leverages three decades of electrode manufacturing expertise to produce long-lasting, cost-efficient batteries that support the continent’s clean energy transition.

Post Views:25
October 14, 2025
by

Türk Telekom puts solar power plant into operation as part of 530 MW project

Telecommunications operator Türk Telekom has inaugurated the first part of a solar power plant of 128 MW in peak capacity. The facility in Sivas province in Central Anatolia is one of the company’s three planned photovoltaic systems, totaling 530 MW.

Solar power, affordable and easy to install, is cost-effective for nearly all social and economic activity. In Southeastern Europe and beyond, it has become a mainstream technology, from municipal authorities and local institutions to industrial production. Türk Telekom stands out in the region as a major telecommunications company investing massively in photovoltaics.

The Turkish state-owned firm commissioned the first part of a solar power plant of 128 MW in peak capacity. Earlier it integrated 1.2 MW of solar energy with its 370 base stations and reached 5.5 MW overall.

The new solar park is on 130 hectares in the Zara district in Sivas province, Central Anatolia. When completed, it will cover 15% of the company’s consumption with its estimated annual output of 196 GWh.

Bayraktar: Many companies transformed from energy consumers to producers

At a ceremony at the 11th Energy Efficiency Forum and Exhibition in Istanbul, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar put the completed segment into operation using a remote-controlled 5G wireless system. The energy revolution in Turkey has transformed many companies from energy consumers to producers, he pointed out.

Recalling that renewable electricity plants of more than 6 GW in total were completed last year, the minister expressed confidence that 2025 would be a record year. Turkey is heading toward 9 GW or 10 GW, striving to increase the newly installed capacity every year, Bayraktar said.

Türk Telekom to cover two thirds of its electricity needs with photovoltaics

ZTE won the tender late last year for the 128 MW project. The contractor installed mono-crystalline bifacial double-glass N-type PV panels and 350 kW inverters.

According to Türk Telekom’s Chief Executive Officer Ümit Önal, the Sivas plant and two other future solar parks, in Malatya and Ağrı, would meet 65% of the company’s electricity demand. Spanning 600 hectares, they would have 530 MW in combined peak capacity and generate an estimated 800 GWh per year.

Together with its affiliate TT Ventures, Türk Telekom has set up 114 electric vehicle charging units in 40 locations in 11 provinces. The number, within their E4 Charging project, is estimated to grow to more than two hundred this year, at more than 90 sites in 33 provinces.

Post Views:28