Blog – Full Width

  1. Home
  2. Blog – Full Width
April 9, 2025
by

4 GW of solar, wind projects in pipeline in Montenegro – minister

Montenegro has solar and wind projects in the pipeline with a total capacity of 4,000 MW, according to Admir Šahmanović, Minister of Mining, Oil and Gas and the Coordinator of the Ministry of Energy.

Speaking at the Economic Dialogue Montenegro-Italy round table, minister Admir Šahmanović called for stronger cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector.

Montenegro offers exceptional opportunities for investors, especially in the field of renewable energy sources, Šahmanović added. Of note, he will be one of the key speakers at the Belgrade Energy Forum conference on May 14 and 15.

The planned solar power plants and wind farms would increase the country’s production capacity from the current 1 GW to 5 GW, representing a huge potential for the energy transition and long-term supply stability, he pointed out.

A second line within the underwater power link with Italy would further increase energy security

The minister also stressed the importance of expanding the power interconnection with Italy with a second line of the subsea link. The project would further increase the transmission capacity and ensure even greater energy security, he underlined.

Since 2019, the underwater cable has been enabling stable transmission of electricity between the Balkans and the European Union. In the minister’s words, the second line would further strengthen energy security and increase the use of renewable energy sources in the region.

Photo: Government of Montenegro

In addition to renewables, Šahmanović sees the mining sector as another opportunity for cooperation. A more detailed analysis of existing resources is needed, he said and added that Montenegro has valuable mineral resources that must be used with the implementation of sustainability standards.

The country needs strategic partners to modernize the sector while implementing the highest environmental standards, Šahmanović pointed out.

The round table was organized by the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro.

Ambassador of Italy Andreana Marcella said the event was a result of earlier talks between the governments of the two countries. She expects the final B2B and B2G meetings to bring concrete results in the energy, agriculture, and infrastructure sections.

According to ICE manager Antonio Ventresca, the round table marks the beginning of long-term cooperation. The event was also attended by the Montenegrin ministers of ecology and tourism Damjan Ćulafić and Simonida Kordić, respectively.

Post Views:78
April 8, 2025
by

Share of coal power in Finland nearly zero as cogeneration plant shuts down

Helsinki’s municipal energy company Helen closed its last coal facility. Together with the country’s remaining plants that use the solid fossil fuel, Salmisaari accounted for just 0.8% of the electricity mix in 2024. The Government of Finland earlier set May 1, 2029, as the coal exit date.

Two years ago, the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor of 1.6 GW, the strongest in Europe, entered commercial operation. Apparently it helped the energy system of Finland to almost eliminate coal from the board. Helen, controlled by the local authority of the capital Helsinki, closed its Hanasaari B plant in 2023, leaving the Salmisaari combined heat and power (CHP) facility as the only one using coal. This week the company shut it down.

Finland is now using neglectable quantities of coal. Salmisaari has 177 MW in power capacity and 300 MW for heat. Together with the country’s remaining three coal power plants, it accounted for a mere 0.8% of the electricity mix last year, Coal-Free Finland and Beyond Fossil Fuels said.

Moreover, coal amounts to just 30% of fuel in Vaskiluoto 2. The facility mostly uses biomass. The operator of the Martinlaakso coal unit is eliminating fossil fuels from regular operations next year. The third one, Meri-Pori, is in strategic reserve.

Share of coal in Finland is marginal

Finland will retain reserve coal capacity for security of supply purposes, which can be deployed if necessary, Helen said. In addition, some energy companies use small amounts of coal in their energy production for peak, reserve and security of supply reasons, it added. The law forbids using coal in energy production after May 1, 2029.

Wind power output more than doubled in Finland since 2020, reaching a quarter of the total. At the same time, coal-fired generation plummeted 73% while fossil gas is down 82%, according to the report. “Finland has shown what’s possible when clear political signals are matched with rapid investments in renewable power,” said Deputy Campaign Director at Beyond Fossil Fuels Cyrille Cormier. The group called on the authorities to double down on renewables and clean flexibility.

Finnish energy experts can pull off impossible tasks

Helen delayed the closure of Salmisaari by a year. Coal still accounted for 64% of the company’s district heating supply in 2022!

The utility managed to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% since 1990. It aims to reach 95% by the end of the decade.

“Helen giving up coal and, at the same time, foreign imported energy with regard to it, will remain a significant part of our country’s industrial history and shows that Finnish energy expertise enables actions that initially seemed impossible,” Chief Executive Officer Olli Sirkka said.

Helen transitioning to clean solutions

Helen is shifting to clean solutions. It enables operating more profitably with lower prices, the CEO pointed out. A range of facilities are under construction.

Heat production is mainly moving to heat pumps – utilizing waste and environmental heat – electric boilers, energy storage and sustainable biofuels. Helen will lean on wind, nuclear energy, hydropower and photovoltaics for electricity.

The new units in Salmisaari will be two electric boilers of a combined 100 MW, in combination with a heat pump of 33 MW in external capacity, as well as a 153 MW plant burning wood pellets. Helen is planning a 200 MW electric boiler facility of four units in Hanasaari, able to store 1 GWh of heat. It would currently be the biggest in Europe.

Helsinki has the ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2030, though including external offsets. It would eliminate them within the following ten years, which means only the city’s carbon sinks are included in the equation. The next step is turning carbon negative.

Market forces are decimating the remaining coal power capacity in Europe as it is expensive because of emissions rights and strict environmental regulations, as well as inflexible. Germany, Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo* and Turkey have the largest shares of coal in power production in the European Union and Southeastern Europe. Their phaseout deadlines are all after 2030, but the situation is changing fast.

Post Views:88
* This designation is without prejudice to positions onstatus and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
April 7, 2025
by

Solar, nuclear lower Europe’s power prices by 30% in March

Electricity generation in solar and nuclear power plants, combined with higher temperatures, lowered the price of electricity in Europe in March by almost 30% on a monthly basis, according to Eurelectric’s data.

Photovoltaics broke the record in power generation in March for the third consecutive month, Eurelectric said, adding that they accounted for more than 10% of Europe’s electricity mix.

The boost in solar power, combined with improved nuclear generation and milder weather, decreased power prices to EUR 90 per MWh from EUR 126 per MWh, registered in February, and EUR 112 per MWh in January.

The organization attributed high prices in the previous two months to low wind generation, increased power demand and the highest gas prices in two years. Ongoing global geopolitical tensions and outages in Norway exerted upward pressure on the cost of gas while limited storage and flexibility sources forced a heavier reliance on gas to supply electricity.

65 GW of solar was added in 2024

Eurelectric said solar rescued Europe with sunnier days and the rise in capacity, with 65 GW added in 2024 alone. As a result, the share of renewables in the power mix was 15 percentage points higher in March compared to February, though one point lower than in March 2024.

Nuclear energy contributed to the decrease in prices with the rise of its share in power production from 24% in March 2024 to last month’s 26% after a few French nuclear reactors came back online, Eurelectric said.

Nevertheless, the average day-ahead electricity price in the first quarter of 2025 was 51% higher than in the first three months of last year. The surge was primarily driven by higher average gas prices, which grew by 33% in the same period, according to the data.

Ruby: Europe remains too vulnerable to fossil fuel price fluctuations

The organization’s Secretary General Kristian Ruby stressed that Europe remains too vulnerable to fossil fuel price fluctuations, especially during periods of high electricity demand. “To counter this, we must speed up the roll-out of demand side response and storage technologies and further incentivise the use of long-term power purchase agreements,” he noted.

Eurelectric sees solutions in capacity mechanisms and flexibility-supporting schemes. Flexibility is also crucial when it comes to balancing negative prices, which are occurring more frequently. As solar generation rose in March, negative prices made a comeback, particularly in Nordic and Western European countries, the organization of the European electricity industry pointed out.

Post Views:68
April 7, 2025
by

PPC plans EUR 5.8 billion makeover of Western Macedonia coal region, including data centers

Public Power Corp. (PPC) presented a EUR 5.8 billion investment plan for the coal region of Western Macedonia in northern Greece. It held the ceremony in the retired Kardia 2 lignite-fired power plant.

According to PPC’s chairman and CEO George Stassis, the endeavor consists of the decommissioning of old assets and the rollout of new energy technologies.

Stassis: Western Macedonia can reinvent itself

PPC, or DEI in Greek, said it would return to the government 8,000 hectares of coal land that it no longer needs, after completely restoring it. All equipment, such as 400 kilometers of lignite conveyor belts, cooling towers and excavators, are planned to be recycled up to 95%.

According to the decarbonization timeframe, Ptolemaida 5 will be the last coal plant in the country, continuing to operate until the end of 2026. It is set to be converted to a gas power plant with a capacity of 350 MW. PPC is also open to upgrading it to 500 MW or even 1 GW.

New photovoltaics, storage underway

“Western Macedonia can reinvent itself using new technology,” said the CEO.

The group aims to install a total of 2.1 GW in photovoltaics across the region. A 550 MW solar power plant in the former lignite mine of Ptolemaida is almost complete. It will be the biggest in the Balkans. Separately, a group of clusters of 940 MW is under construction within the Meton joint venture with German RWE.

Energy storage is another major segment in PPC’s investment plan. Within the next three years, it aims to funnel EUR 940 million for a total capacity of 860 MW. It includes two pumped storage hydropower projects. The one in Kardia is for 320 MW and an eight-hour storage duration, and the other in the South Lignite Field – 240 MW and a 12-hour duration. The projects are worth EUR 430 million and EUR 310 million, respectively.

Equally important, battery storage units of 300 MW altogether would be installed in Amyndaio, Akrini, Meliti and Kardia in the country’s main coal region. The other one is Megalopolis in the Peloponnese.

PPC plans a 50 MW hydrogen production facility together with Motor Oil, as Hellenic Hydrogen, and a cogeneration plant to cover district heating needs from the end of 2026.

Large 300 MW data center

Last but not least, the Greek group aims to create a 300 MW data center, as part of an investment of EUR 2.3 billion. A subsidiary in fiber optic cables would upgrade the telecommunication links with Thessaloniki and Igoumenitsa to improve data flow in Greece and abroad.

If conditions are favorable, PPC would further upgrade the data center to 1 GW, increasing its investment by EUR 5.4 billion.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the event that existing infrastructure in Western Macedonia is a great advantage.

Post Views:69
April 6, 2025
by

Kosovo* to subsidize solar panels for prosumers, solar thermal systems

Kosovo* is using an EU grant for public calls for families and firms to install solar power panels and solar thermal collectors. The subsidies for photovoltaics amount to EUR 250 per kW, or EUR 200 per kW for businesses that set up larger systems. There is a bonus for female-owned enterprises.

The Ministry of Economy of Kosovo* launched a mechanism to support households and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in investing in renewable energy. The measures are funded with a EUR 75 million grant from the European Union within its EUR 500 million direct budget aid package for the Western Balkans. It was approved at the height of the energy crisis, to subsidize the energy bills of households and businesses that were at high risk.

The authorities issued a call for photovoltaics for self-consumption for families and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Households can apply for support for solar systems with capacities ranging from 3 kW to 7 kW. They will be subsidized with EUR 250 per kW to become prosumers but only up to EUR 1,750 overall.

Firms that build photovoltaic systems of 10 kW and more are entitled to as much as EUR 6,000 per beneficiary

For micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, the subsidy will be EUR 250 per kW for capacities ranging from 3 kW to 9 kW. The maximum payment to one beneficiary is EUR 2,000. For capacities of 10 kW and above, future prosumers in the business sector will be subsidized with EUR 200 per kW or up to EUR 6,000 in total.

In cases where businesses are owned by women or are jointly owned by women holding at least 51% of ownership, the government will add EUR 200 to the subsidy.

The deadline for the first phase is May 31 or until all funds are reserved, on a first-come-first-served basis. Applications in the second phase will be accepted until September 30, according to the announcement.

Public call for solar thermal systems for firms expected in one week

The other call, which the ministry expects to be launched in mid-February, is for supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in investing in solar thermal systems, for water heating.

The share of subsidies is 40% of the investment value or up to EUR 4,000 in total.

Government promises pathways for investments

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti expressed commitment to the energy transition pathway.

“While we are working on projects with large capacities such as the solar auction, we are also pushing forward opportunities for our citizens to develop small-scale energy capacities for consumption and self-consumption. Not only are we reducing the burden on our system, but we are also empowering families and businesses to make sustainable and affordable choices,” he said.

The Law on Renewable Energy Sources has passed the first reading in parliament

It is a favorable time for investments in renewables, Minister of Economy Artane Rizvanolli claimed and highlighted the work on the Law on Renewable Energy Sources. It has passed the first reading in parliament.

The law will make the installation of solar systems more attractive and obligate operators to make it easier for citizens, she added. The energy strategy stipulates that citizens should be in the center with regard to development and benefit from the energy transition, Rizvanolli asserted.

Alessandro Bianciardi from the European Union Office in Kosovo* vowed to continue supporting the government’s initiatives in the sector. They are cooperating on the 2024-2027 agenda to boost the economy of Kosovo* and other Western Balkan countries with grants and subsidies in the energy sector, he stressed.

Post Views:1,291
* This designation is without prejudice to positions onstatus and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
April 6, 2025
by

Kosovo* power utility KEK replaces acting CEO

The Board of Directors of Kosovo Energy Corp. (KEK) appointed Bekir Gërguri as acting chief executive officer and Ramadan Budakova as his deputy, also in an acting capacity.

The change in leadership in Prishtina-based KEK has prompted controversy. Bekir Gërguri has been named acting CEO instead of Përparim Kabashi, who has returned to his previous position as secretary. Ramadan Budakova became acting deputy CEO of the government-controlled electricity producer.

The company runs the only two coal-fired power plants in Kosovo*, which account for more than 90% of domestic output. But KEK also has a major renewables project underway, backed by funding from the European Union.

Connections between the newly appointed CEO and Kosovo’s ruling party Lëvizja Vetëvendosje (LVV) surfaced immediately after the announcement. Gërguri’s previous affiliation with it, including his candidacy for the Municipal Assembly of Fushë Kosova (called Kosovo Polje in Serbian), has raised questions about potential political influence.

KEK generated 5.53 TWh of electricity last year

Additionally, there are concerns about reports that Budakova was accused of planting wheat over a decade ago on KEK land near coal mines without authorization, resulting in his demotion.

There were issues with earlier leadership as well. Police arrested former CEO Nagip Krasniqi last year over alleged tender manipulation. He was released from detention last September, but the legal proceedings against him are ongoing.

As Kosovo’s primary energy provider, KEK plays a vital role in the country’s infrastructure and economy. It remains to be seen how the new management will navigate the challenges ahead and address concerns about transparency, accountability, and political influence.

KEK generated 5.53 TWh of electricity last year. The Kosovo A thermal power plant contributed 2.29 TWh, while Kosovo B accounted for the remainder.

Separately, through the cogeneration project with Prishtina’s Termokos, over 327 GWh of thermal energy was generated for heating purposes. This significant output has been achieved through the combustion of coal, with a total of 6.92 million tons extracted during the year 2023.

Post Views:915
* This designation is without prejudice to positions onstatus and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.