December 8, 2025
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Quota surpassed at Romania’s bonus wind power auction

Romania apparently achieved moderately lower prices at its additional wind power auction for contracts for difference (CfDs) than in the regular round. According to a media report, nine bids were approved, for seven proposed facilities, and the winners include OX2, Qair and Zen Energy Group.

All wind farm projects in Romania that obtained the right to state support at the latest renewable electricity auction need to be completed by 2028. The Ministry of Energy and transmission system operator Transelectrica have approved 315.8 MW, compared to the targeted minimum of 290 MW, Economica.net learned.

The bonus round was organized because of a weak turnout in the regular, second wind power auction. Winners are eligible for 15-year CfDs, in a EUR 3 billion scheme covered via the European Union’s Modernisation Fund.

According to the report, the prices were also more favorable for the government than in the previous auction: between EUR 59.95 per MWh and EUR 74.9 per MWh, against EUR 65.17 per MWh to EUR 79.5 per MWh. The ceiling was the same, EUR 80 per MWh.

Cheapest two lots are part of same project

Naxxar Wind Energy Project Zenon won two lots, at 64.8 MW each, for the same project – Tudor Vladimirescu in Brăila county, northeast of Bucharest. The strike prices are EUR 59.95 per MWh and EUR 61.05 per MWh.

Owners of the special purpose vehicle are Renewable Investors and Kaizer Gerhard, an individual, both from Germany.

Aukera Project Company Beta has won a CfD contract for 27.2 MW in the proposed Făurei wind farm. The price is EUR 67.12 per MWh. It is owned by AtlasInvest, headquartered in Belgium.

In Romania, it is working on the projects for the Delesti wind farm in Vaslui county and the Gura Ialomiței storage facility in Ialomița. The battery would have 250 MW in operating power and a capacity of 500 MWh.

The first phase, of 300 MWh, is under construction. The company obtained a EUR 9.9 million grant last year through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP or, in Romanian, PNRR) and signed a loan facility of EUR 60 million with Kommunalkredit Austria for the storage system.

OX2 wins CfDs for additional capacity for its future wind farms

Brăila Green Energy qualified for 12.4 MW of its Urleasca wind power project, at EUR 69.86 per MWh. The firm is controlled by OX2, which already won a CfD for a part of the same future facility.

The Sweden-based company also snatched 25.6 MW for its Cerchezu project. It is another winner from the previous round. This time, the South Wind subsidiary secured a contract at EUR 74.49 per MWh.

Clever Power has obtained 21 MW and 14 MW by bidding EUR 69.88 per MWh and EUR 72.92 per MWh, respectively. Both lots are for the same project: Falciu wind farm, envisaged to include storage. The company is controlled by Romanian investor Barbu Cristian, the article adds, citing a businesses registry.

AZ Market Construction won just 8 MW for its Bordei Verde wind project. It is eligible for EUR 74.74 per MWh. The firm is owned by France-based Qair.

Traian Energy, a subsidiary of Zen Energy Group from Luxembourg, is getting the highest price from the bonus round. The wind park would receive EUR 74.9 per MWh for the entire 78 MW.

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December 8, 2025
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Elnos to construct grid connection for wind farm Vetrozelena in Serbia

Elnos Group will build a connection to the transmission grid for the 300 MW Vetrozelena wind farm near the city of Pančevo in Serbia.

Vetrozelena is the largest wind power plant under construction in Serbia. The largest existing one is Čibuk 1, with a capacity of 158 MW. It has been producing electricity since October 2019.

Elnos Group is headquartered in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The company said it celebrated its 30th anniversary of modern business operations by signing a contract with the Power China Construction Group to build the largest wind farm in the Balkans.

Elnos will construct the entire infrastructure for connecting the facility to the transmission system

Elnos Serbia has signed an EPC contract with Sinohydro, a subsidiary of Power China Construction Group, for the construction of the Vetrozelena wind farm, the largest single wind project in the Balkans, with a total capacity of 300 MW, according to the update.

The wind farm would comprise 48 turbines with a capacity of 6.25 MW each.

Of note, the region hosts another major wind project – in July, the construction of a 400 MW wind farm kicked off in North Macedonia.

Elnos Serbia, member of Elnos Group, is undertaking the construction of the complete connection to the transmission system operated by Serbia’s transmission system operator (TSO) Elektromreža Srbije (EMS).

The project includes the construction of a 35/400 kV substation with four transformers of 90 MVA each, a 400 kV switchyard with six fields, a 7.5-kilometer 400 kV dual-system power line, as well as the infrastructure upgrade of the distribution grid and telecommunications network.

Ćulibrk: We will successfully complete the project within the contracted timeframe

This is another contract concluded on an EPC basis under which Elnos Serbia is handling the complete engineering, design, construction of facilities, procurement and installation of equipment, connection to the grid, testing, and commissioning.

“The expertise and dedication of our engineers, technicians, and installers, our comprehensive knowledge and extensive experience on similar projects, along with the company’s financial and organizational stability, give us confidence that we will successfully complete this project within the contracted deadlines,” Elnos Serbia CEO Predrag Ćulibrk underscored.

The project was developed by CWP

The Vetrozelena project was developed by CWP Europe. It is also one of the projects that won the government support in Serbia’s first auctions. However, in April 2023, the company signed an investment contract for the wind farm with PowerChina Resources.

The Chinese company acquired 51% of the project while the remainder stayed in ownership of CWP Europe. PowerChina Resources is PowerChina Group’s overseas investment platform.

The next step in the project’s development occurred in November. Vetrozelena and power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) signed agreements on the electricity offtake, balancing services, and market premiums.

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December 8, 2025
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Wpd obtains wind power approvals in Greece for 225 MW

Wpd has won environmental approvals for a wind power project of 147.6 MW in Central Greece and one for 77 MW in Thrace, in the country’s northeast.

Some of Germany-based wpd’s wind power investments in Southeastern Europe are struggling with delays and controversies – like in Montenegro and Bulgaria, but it is gaining speed in Greece. Right after its subsidiary WPD Wind Energy 2 obtained environmental terms (AEPO) from the Ministry of Environment and Energy in Athens for a 77 MW facility in Boeotia (Viotia), WPD Wind Energy 1 reached the same milestone for a future 147.6 MW wind park near Alexandroupolis, Newmoney reported.

The latter project didn’t go smoothly. It went through numerous changes due to fire and bird protection issues. Nevertheless, the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency issued a negative opinion a month ago.

Wpd is planning to install 26 wind turbines in Fera in the municipality of Alexandroupolis and in Soufli in neighboring Tychero. The sites, Kato Limnes, Makrylofos, Voskotopos and Kounia, are in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.

The German renewables developer has more than halved the planned number of turbines in Thrace while the capacity would be virtually the same

The initial design was for 59 units of 2.5 MW each. The developer eventually switched to 21 turbines of 6 MW, two of 4.5 MW and three of 4.2 MW, of which one would be limited to 4.1 MW. They would all be of the Vestas V150 type.

Road construction works would cover 45 kilometers, but including improvements to existing roads in the length of 42 kilometers. The project involves the construction of two 150/33 kV substations and underground cables of 40.5 kilometers for 33 kV and 7.7 kilometers for 150 kV power lines.

The 77 MW wind power project is for the locations of Megali Rachi, Kroniza and Kanavari in the Aliartos-Thespies municipality, in the central part of Greece. The facility would consist of 11 Siemens Gamesa turbines.

Wpd entered the Greek renewable energy market in 2020 and has since been developing wind and photovoltaic projects. It is also active in Croatia, Romania, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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December 8, 2025
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Greenvolt orders GE Vernova wind turbines for its 250 MW project in Romania

GE Vernova said it would start the delivery in 2026 of 42 of its 6.1 MW-158m wind turbines to Greenvolt for the Gurbănești project near Bucharest. Together with the recent order for the nearby Ialomiţa wind farm, the Portugal-based firm secured half a gigawatt in capacity.

Greenvolt is nearing the launch of construction of two wind farms in Romania. Soon after acknowledging an order for 42 of its 6.1 MW-158m wind turbines, GE Vernova said it would deliver another identical batch for the Gurbănești project.

The site is just east from Bucharest, in Călărași county. Domestic company Renovatio developed the project through special purpose vehicle Gura Ialomiței Solar, backed by Portuguese investment fund RNVQ FCR.

Greenvolt is a subsidiary of KKR. In Southeastern Europe, it is also active in Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria and Serbia.

As for the wind turbine model, its nameplate capacity is 4.8 MW to 6.1 MW, and the 158 meters is the rotor diameter.

The previous order, in October, was for Greenvolt’s Ialomița Nord project. It received final authorization in June from the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) of Romania for 246.4 MW. Notably, GE Vernova said the capacity of its turbines would be 252 MW.

Located in neighboring Ialomița county, the wind turbines would be in three groups in the communities of Țăndărei, Gheorghe Lazăr, Grivița and Ograda. The project firm is called Țăndărei Solar.

Both wind farms will benefit from state support for 125 MW each. The developers won contracts for difference at Romania’s first wind power auction, a year ago. Gurbănești has a contract for EUR 64.98 per MWh, compared to Ialomița Nord’s EUR 67.89 per MWh.

GE Vernova has agreed to supply and install all units and commission both wind parks. It said they would amount to 500 MW in total. Deliveries are set to begin next year, for completion in 2027.

The wind turbine manufacturer said the annual output would be sufficient for more than 110,000 Romanian households.

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December 3, 2025
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Subsidies for green heating approved for 100,000 Greek homes

The Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy published the first list of households that will benefit from the national program for modernizing heating systems.

In total, more than 100,000 households have been accepted, of which 5,000 are classified as vulnerable. The renewable heating program had an original budget of EUR 223 million, with support from the NextGenerationEU fund, but it was later enlarged to EUR 647 million. It takes place under the RePowerEU policy initiative and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan Greece 2.0.

The initiative supports energy upgrades of buildings and the substitution of older heating systems using fossil fuels, with new ones based on renewable energy. Notably, Greece set a goal for a 52.6% share of renewable heating by 2030, according to its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). In 2023, the level reached 26.2%, therefore there is a long distance to cover.

Most buildings in the country currently use either heating oil or natural gas. The goal is to shift to green technologies such as heat pumps or rooftop solar water heaters. These solar systems are especially popular in Greece, since the scorching sun provides ample thermal energy to convert into hot water, even during winter months. They also have a high domestic added value, as they are mainly constructed by Greek companies.

At least 50% of the cost covered

Support is provided for the general public according to income criteria, with 50% to 60% of the cost covered. Beneficiaries get up to EUR 1,020 for their energy upgrades.

As for vulnerable households, there are no income criteria and they get up to EUR 6,000 for each installation.

More applications are expected to be approved in the following months, as Greece aims to complete the program before June 2026, when the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) reaches its end.

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December 3, 2025
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COP30 in Brazil: one decade after Paris Agreement, world is still far from its climate goals

The two-week United Nations Climate Change Conference COP30 is taking place in Brazil. It brought together delegations from more than 190 countries to discuss the challenges of climate change and measures for mitigation and adaptation. The current COP marks ten years since the Paris Agreement, at a time of significant hurdles on the path to achieving global climate goals.

According to preliminary data from the World Meteorological Organization, this year will be the second or third warmest ever recorded on the planet. The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held in Belém, Brazil — a city situated in the heart of our planet’s lungs, the Amazon rainforest.

Brazil carries symbolic weight, as the UNFCCC was signed there in 1992.

Lula da Silva: Climate change is no longer a threat of the future, it is a tragedy of the present

In the decade following the adoption of the Paris Agreement at COP21, some progress has been made in the fight against climate change — but it remains insufficient. In his opening speech, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stressed that climate change is no longer a threat of the future but a tragedy of the present. He called this year’s summit a “moment of truth.”

When the Paris Agreement was signed, scientific projections were showing that without decisive climate action, global temperatures could rise by more than four degrees Celsius before the end of the 21st century. “We are moving in the right direction, but at the wrong speed,” Lula said, also pointing to climate misinformation as a major obstacle to planning and implementing effective measures.

Guterres: We have failed to stop global warming

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in his address that the harsh truth is that the world has failed to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Just days before the summit, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released its annual report showing that, under current policies, the 1.5-degree limit will be reached within the next decade – and the planet will warm by 2.8 degrees by the end of the century.

Guterres: This is moral failure – and deadly negligence

“Even a temporary overshoot will have dramatic consequences. It could push ecosystems past irreversible tipping points, expose billions to unlivable conditions, and amplify threats to peace and security. Every fraction of a degree means more hunger, displacement, and loss – especially for those least responsible. This is moral failure – and deadly negligence,” Guterres warned.

Still, he emphasized that the UN has not given up on the 1.5-degree goal. “We have never been better equipped to fight back,” he said, adding that the clean energy revolution is gaining unstoppable momentum.

In the first half of 2025, renewables overtook coal as the top source of global electricity. Renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels, and the cost of electricity storage continues to decline.

The US will not participate in negotiations

One of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters – the United States – has sent representatives to the summit, but President Donald Trump’s administration announced it would not take part in negotiations. In January, he announced that his country would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and later called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” during a speech at the UN in September.

Focus on implementing existing commitments

The main focus of COP30 in Belém is the implementation of previously agreed commitments and the enforcement of the Paris Agreement. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions remains a key topic, alongside the first Global Stocktake – a comprehensive assessment of progress toward the Paris goals, aimed at encouraging countries to submit more ambitious national climate plans.

Despite some progress, the latest nationally determined contributions (NDCs) remain far from sufficient to prevent the most severe effects of climate change.

Another central issue will be the establishment of a New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance – determining the scale, timelines, and mechanisms for funding, as well as the share of resources that must go toward adaptation and support for the most vulnerable communities.

According to UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2025, developing countries will need more than USD 310 billion annually by 2035 to adapt to climate impacts, yet they currently have access to only a fraction of that amount.

Toward a just transition and nature protection

Delegates will also discuss operationalizing the Global Goal on Adaptation, which aims to measure progress in building climate resilience.

Another key topic will be the concept of a just transition, with a proposal to establish the Belém Action Mechanism for Just Transition – a new framework to ensure that climate and economic transitions put people at the center. It would include job creation, retraining programs, and support for communities dependent on fossil fuel industries.

Given that COP30 is taking place in the heart of the Amazon, particular attention is dedicated to nature and forest conservation. Brazil plans to present the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, an initiative designed to secure long-term funding for the protection of tropical forests.

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December 3, 2025
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Croatia initiates project to harness solar energy along highways

Croatia’s highway management enterprise, Hrvatske Autoceste, is implementing a project for solar power plants along its highways. The company plans to use the electricity for self-consumption and for electric vehicle chargers. It would reduce costs and increase its energy independence.

After a tender procedure, Hrvatske Autoceste (HAC) selected ETS Farago to produce project designs for photovoltaic plants at four locations on the A3 highway. It heads east from the capital Zagreb to the border with Serbia.

The job, covering 36 hectares, should be finished by March 2026. Along with the documentation, the selected company is required to submit an assessment of its advantages and disadvantages.

It would be followed by a techno-economic analysis and, if it is favorable, a tender for the installation of solar panels. It is the final step, expected not before 2027.

Slovenia and BiH have initiated similar projects

Of note, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have initiated similar projects. Roadside locations could be a good solution for solar panels, given that such land is unused and alternatives are limited.

ETS Farago is tasked with preparing three versions for each of the four locations: Zagreb Plitvice (2.5 hectares), Rastovica (3.1 hectares), Sredanci (11 hectares), and Ivanja Reka (18 hectares). The first two are next to rest areas, while the other two are at interchanges.

HAC intends to install 259 electric vehicle chargers

The first model is for the production of electricity for self-consumption, with the surplus fed into the grid. Another option is self-consumption including battery energy storage systems (BESS). The third model is the complete sale of all electricity produced in the PV facilities.

The contract is estimated at EUR 11,400 excluding VAT.

HAC previously said that in addition to supplying its own facilities, such as toll booths, traffic maintenance and control centers, and street lighting, its project called solar highways is key to plans for expanding electric vehicle infrastructure.

The company intends to install 259 chargers on roads within five years.

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December 3, 2025
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GGF’s new partnership powering sustainability of SMEs in Turkey

The Green for Growth Fund (GGF) has partnered with ING Leasing Türkiye, a subsidiary of ING Türkiye, through a EUR 20 million financing agreement to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) invest in cleaner, smarter, and more efficient technologies, from energy-efficient equipment and machinery upgrades to self-consumption photovoltaic systems and other low-carbon solutions.

GGF’s first collaboration with ING Leasing Türkiye is marking the start of a new strategic relationship. In addition, it is ING Leasing’s first direct access to international development financing supported by funding from international financial institutions and development finance institutions through the Green for Growth Fund, the update adds.

The deal is expected to deliver around 21,000 MWh of primary energy savings and avoid approximately 5,800 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year, according to GGF.

The signing was attended by Onur Gul, General Manager of ING Leasing Türkiye, and Pınar Cumalı, Treasury and Financial Institutions Manager at ING Leasing Türkiye, alongside, representing GGF through its advisor Finance in Motion, the company’s Regional Director Burcu Karpuz and Investment Associate Mehmet Sena Bakar.

Luxembourg-based GGF has become one of the largest green blended-finance funds. It ended last year with EUR 1.09 billion in assets under management and an outstanding investment portfolio of EUR 1.03 billion.

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December 3, 2025
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Slovenian company Talum to install solar power plants on waste landfills

Aluminium producer Talum plans to install solar power plants of up to 60 MW overall. The project could boost utility-scale solar in Slovenia, where small PV facilities installed by firms and households account for almost the entire operating capacity of 1.5 GW.

Currently the largest solar power plant in Slovenia has a capacity of 7.1 MW. Located near the village of Krvavi Potok, it started operating in July.

Notably, the expansion of the Prapretno photovoltaic plant is underway – from 6 MW to 9.8 MW. The largest project is for the Družmirje floating solar plant, for 140 MW.

Talum told state news agency STA it is developing a project to install large solar power plants on the area of its two closed waste landfills in Kidričevo that have valid environmental permits, public broadcaster RTV SLO reported. The endeavor is in accordance with the Law on the Introduction of Devices for the Production of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources as well as with sustainable policies, it added.

Talum is awaiting response from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning

The company’s project design envisages the installation of solar power plants with a total capacity of up to 60 MW at the landfills.

The company initiated a project approval procedure in July at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, including additional studies. It said it would proceed with preparing the necessary documentation and other activities for the construction, after receiving a response.

It isn’t the first solar project for Talum. In 2023, it installed solar panels of 3.78 MW altogether on five buildings. Additionally, the company hosts two battery energy storage systems (BESS) on its land. NGEN commissioned a 15 MW / 30 MWh unit in 2020, and GEN-I inaugurated a 12 MW / 24 MWh facility a month ago. NGEN has also announced it would install a 70 MW BESS on the site.

Red sludge danger

Local NGO Gibanje za Kidričevo has objected to the project in a letter to Prime Minister Robert Golob and the European Commission.

Solar power plants shouldn’t be built on such sites, according to the group.

It recalled that in 2014, the European Commission classified red mud as hazardous mining waste, following an accident in Hungary four years earlier.

Talum responded that the red mud landfill has a valid environmental permit as a non-hazardous waste landfill.

The project design for the solar power plants envisages the implementation of additional measures on the closed landfills aimed at improving the state of the environment, the company explained.

Of note, Talum used to produce aluminum, but after closing its electrolysis facility, it switched to recycled aluminum products.

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December 3, 2025
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Turkey earns EUR 84.8 million upfront from solar power auction

Investors in photovoltaic projects were mostly willing to pay large sums at Turkey’s latest YEKA auction to secure a minimum guaranteed price for five years, followed by 20-year power purchase agreements. The government earned EUR 84.8 million overall from the secondary bidding for 650 MW, split into six areas. One zone is for a floating solar power plant.

According to Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, domestic electricity demand is on a trajectory to triple to 1.05 PWh in the next 30 years. It follows an almost threefold jump of the last two decades, while natural gas is rising even faster, he pointed out.

The minister has urged investors to keep up the momentum, noting that the national goal for 2035 for solar and wind power is 120 GW in total.

One of the pillars of the government’s measures to incentivize such endeavors are renewable energy auctions. Notably, the obligatory domestic content rates are high, to boost manufacturing in the sector.

The latest solar power auction under the Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) state support mechanism even brought substantial earnings for Turkey, for the second time. The bidding was initiated at the ceiling price, EUR 55 per MWh, and when the floor level was reached at EUR 32.5 per MWh, the remaining competitors were switched to another auction.

They offered so-called contribution shares, starting at a stunning 10,000 per MW of planned connection capacity. The quota for the REZ SPP 2025 (YEKA GES 2025) round was 650 MW, split into eight zones. Two zones were taken off the table after the call, due to delays in permitting.

Highest fee was EUR 285,000 per MW

In total, Turkey cashed in EUR 84.8 million or EUR 130,400 per MW of connection capacity, excluding value-added tax.

The Eskişehir zone, 260 MW, went for EUR 105,000 per MW to Efor Holding. The company was successful at the previous wind power auction as well, early this year.

Stone Enerji won the Erzurum 1 segment, of 100 MW, by pledging EUR 100,000 per MW. Sertaş Turizm took Erzurum 3, at 85 MW, for EUR 120,000 per MW.

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources included a floating solar power plant project for the first time

The 50 MW Bolu zone went to Ecogreen Enerji. The company is paying 44,000 per MW, the least of all winners.

Kahramanmaraş, of 40 MW, was awarded to Güçlü GES Enerji. It pledged EUR 285,000 per MW, which was the highest contribution fee. Aydede Enerji has obtained the Mardin zone for EUR 208,000 per MW while Zincir GES Enerji managed to win the Van solar power project for EUR 187,000 per MW. Both are for 40 MW.

The auction also featured the first zone for a floating solar power plant. Demirköprü Yüzer GES in Manisa province, for 35 MW, was taken by a firm with the same name. It is paying EUR 225,000 per MW, the ministry has revealed.

Solar power auction facilitates USD 400 million in investments

There were 77 applications altogether, from 38 companies.

The winners will be able to sell electricity on the free market for five years. However, they are guaranteed at least their contracted price, which in all cases is the floor price – EUR 32.5 per MWh. The second period, 20 years, is with a power purchase agreement.

Bayraktar estimated that the solar power auction facilitated investments worth a combined USD 400 million. The projected annual output is equivalent to the electricity needs of half a million households.

The minister pointed out that 8 GW of solar and wind power would come online this year in total. The combined capacity on the grid from the two technologies amounts to some 39 GW out of 121 GW overall.

Also of note, the Energy Storage Industries Association (EDEDER) has forecasted that 1.5 GWh of storage capacity would be commissioned next year in Turkey.

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