October 10, 2025
by in News

Karatzis, Metlen to install Greece’s largest battery in joint venture

Karatzis Group of Companies and Metlen are establishing a joint venture for a standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) of 330 MW and 790 MWh. It is the biggest project in Greece so far and one of the biggest in Europe.

Metlen said it is entering into a new strategic partnership in Greece with Karatzis Group of Companies, through a joint venture with ownership stakes of 49% and 51% respectively, for the development, construction, operation, and energy management of a BESS with 330MW in operating power and a capacity of 790 MWh. The site is in Thessaly.

The two Greek companies are building upon their cooperation in the sale and purchase of green energy. Since August 2024, it has involved the implementation of a portfolio of solar power plants with a total capacity of 262 MW in the same region, the update adds.

The partners value their BESS investment at EUR 170 million

The BESS would be the largest standalone storage unit planned to date in Greece and one of the biggest in Europe, Metlen said. Total investment amounts to some EUR 170 million.

Karatzis and Metlen expect to complete it in the second quarter of next year. The partners expect no further grants or tax reliefs for the project, according to the announcement.

Metlen is tasked with full construction, operation, and maintenance of the unit through its M Renewables segment. It has presence and projects on five continents, the company pointed out. In 2024 alone, Metlen said it completed storage projects with a total capacity of 0.7 GWh and is in the final stages of agreements for third-party projects totaling 2.2 GWh.

Karatzis, based in Crete, manufactures a variety of netting products. It has five plants. In recent years it expanded to the construction of photovoltaic plants. The Metlen conglomerate produces metals and has a vertical presence in the energy market, being one the largest producers and suppliers in Greece.

Post Views:32
October 9, 2025
by in News

Romania’s Hidroelectrica to equip hydropower plants with battery storage

Romanian state-owned power utility Hidroelectrica will install storage on all its run-of-river hydropower plants, to be able to switch the supply of surplus electricity to the evening peak, according to interim CEO Bogdan Nicolae Badea.

Hybrid power plants are all the rage. Two- and even three-way combinations between batteries and solar and wind power plants have become more and more popular over the past few years, as they enable steadier and more predictable supply. But energy storage can have a meaningful role in tandem with hydropower as well, and interim President of the Board of Directors of Hidroelectrica Bogdan Nicolae Badea revealed plans for such investments.

Namely, impoundment hydroelectric plants control the flow from the reservoir through the dam, so much of their production can be adjusted to demand. Run-of-river facilities can store little to no water, which is why the Romanian state-owned hydropower plant operator intends to add energy storage to its entire operational portfolio in the segment, Badea explained.

Goal is to lower daily price spreads at power exchange

The idea is to switch the supply of electricity from times of surplus within the day to the evening peak, the interim CEO stressed at the Profit Energy.forum. There are seven to eight slots a day at the electricity exchange with very low or negative prices, and others with excessive prices, Badea pointed out.

“Even in free market conditions and affected by external crises, the cost borne by consumers could be somewhat lower than today if Romania had energy storage capacities, so that daily consumption peaks are in balance with production peaks,” the interim CEO underscored.

Price caps hurting Romanian state budget

Romania caps power prices, which harms the state budget, Badea noted and said there are two ways to achieve a balance.

“The first solution is a systemic one – and here all the important participants in the energy sector must invest – and Hidroelectrica is doing this, investing primarily in diversification. We have a wind farm in operation today. We are investing a lot in the storage area and we are trying to combine renewable sources, hydro, photovoltaics, floating photovoltaics,” he stated.

Hidroelectrica signed a contract in April with a consortium of Romanian companies Prime Batteries Technology and Enevo Group, for a lithium ion battery energy storage system at its Crucea Nord wind farm.

Hidroelectrica is investing in storage, solar power and hybrid power plant projects

The company also plans to integrate a BESS with hydropower plant Iron Gate 2 (Porţile de Fier 2) on the Danube. The project is valued at EUR 61.2 million. Some hydropower plants are set to be equipped with rooftop photovoltaic systems.

Badea was also the company chief from 2017 to 2023. He was recently reappointed, after he was the chief investment officer for almost two years.

For the first six months of this year, hydrological data shows a situation reminiscent of the critical moment when the company entered insolvency, in 2015, Badea added. However, unlike that period, today Hidroelectrica is a profitable, stable company and a pillar of the energy system, he stressed.

Post Views:28
October 7, 2025
by in News

Green light for one of first standalone battery investments in Cyprus

The Cypriot Department of Environment has approved the project for what is set to become one of the country’s first battery energy storage systems. HESS Hybrid Energy Storage Systems is planning to install a 59 MW facility with a capacity of 120 MWh, which would ease the strain on the European Union’s only non-interconnected electricity grids.

Pressured by curtailments of renewable electricity and frequent outages amid a lack of flexibility, Cyprus is in a rush to install battery energy storage systems (BESS). Stabilizing the grid is challenging also because of delays in the introduction of gas and the Great Sea Interconnector project, as the island country is the only one in the European Union without a power transmission link to the rest of the 27-member bloc.

Soon after state-owned Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) launched a tender for a contractor for two BESS facilities, a private firm received a green light from the Department of Environment for a planned investment.

HESS Hybrid Energy Storage Systems is developing a project for a standalone battery system with 59 MW in operating power, which would consist of just as many units. Having 2 MWh in capacity each, the installation would amount to 120 MWh in nominal terms.

Water protection, relocation of olive trees are among obligatory measures

The department ruled that an environmental impact study isn’t required, but under several mitigation measures. For instance, the developer must deliver excess excavation material to a licensed entity, and use surface soil for landscaping.

Olive trees would be removed, and the groundwater and local water stream protected. The project involves underground cabling and wetting to contain dust during construction.

Grid development plan indicates 2029 for commissioning

The 4.9-hectare location is in Psevda in Larnaca district, near the 10.8 MW Ayia Anna (Agia Anna) wind park. The BESS would have a 50 MW connection to the 132 kV transmission grid, and an effective storage capacity of 100 MWh, documentation shows.

It would include an on-site substation, eight medium-voltage transformer units and 259 converters. The Electricity Authority of Cyprus plans to upgrade the nearby Psevdas high-voltage substation by 2029 to integrate the standalone battery system.

Construction work is expected to last ten months, while the cost of the BESS project is valued at EUR 22 million.

Post Views:21
October 7, 2025
by in News

Software maker Volue acquires power trading, battery optimization platform smartPulse

Volue took over smartPulse, accelerating the expansion into Central and Eastern Europe, Southern Europe and Turkey, with its power trading and battery optimization capabilities.

Software maker Volue said it has completed a deal to acquire smartPulse, a full-suite short-term power trading and battery optimization platform for asset owners and aggregators across Europe. It significantly accelerates the expansion into Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Southern Europe and Türkiye, according to the announcement.

The takeover will expand the offering with a comprehensive suite that now covers forecasting, position management, scheduling and nomination, day-ahead bidding, intraday trading, battery optimization and asset connectivity, Volue said. The company said it provides solutions and systems powering the green transition as well as insights to industries critical to society. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, it is active in more than 40 countries.

Volue pointed out that it is strengthening its capabilities with smartPulse’s proven platform and seasoned team, adding that they bring decades of expertise in one of Europe’s fastest-growing power markets.

SmartPulse to benefit from Volue’s resources, expertise, commercial team

Founded in 2018 in Turkey, smartPulse is a certified independent software vendor (ISV) at EPEX Spot, Nord Pool and various other European energy exchanges, with more than 80 energy market specialists.

The firm expressed confidence it would benefit from Volue’s resources, expertise and commercial team to further accelerate its development and geographic expansion while also strengthening its end-to-end value proposition.

Jointly connecting assets to markets

“With this acquisition, we accelerate our expansion into new European markets and strengthen our position as a full-suite provider for renewable asset operators. The move directly enhances our battery storage and optimisation capabilities, deepens our presence across regions, and supports our ambition of becoming the leading global independent energy software player,” said Volue’s Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Transformation Officer Martin Vieider.

The transaction enables smartPulse to accelerate its European rollout of transmission system operator (TSO) connections and broaden its suite internationally, while giving customers the confidence of a market-leading global partner, according to CEO and co-founder Önder Akar

“We share Volue’s ambition of connecting assets to markets, and we’re excited to scale that vision together,” he stated.

Post Views:23
October 7, 2025
by in News

Econergy to assume 100% ownership of Romania’s biggest solar park, add batteries

Econergy agreed to buy out Nofar’s 50% stake in the 155 MW Rătești photovoltaic plant, the largest in Romania. The next step is to add a 120 MW battery energy storage system.

Econergy Renewable Energy said its subsidiary Econergy International, in which it holds 75.2%, has signed an agreement with Nofar Energy to acquire the partner company’s entire 50% stake in the Rătești solar power plant. The facility northwest of Bucharest, in Argeș county, is the largest in Romania. It has 155 MW in peak capacity.

Following the transaction, Econergy will hold 100% ownership and assume control of the shareholder loan previously provided by Nofar, of EUR 14.9 million, according to the update. The total consideration for the transaction is €45.6 million, payable in three instalments through June 2026.

Both companies are based in Israel. Econergy expects a capital gain of EUR 13 million from the deal. Like with some of its other investments in Romania, it plans to add a 120 MW battery energy storage system (BESS). The operator values the investment at EUR 32 million.

The battery storage facility is expected to enter commercial operation in the second quarter of next year, Econergy revealed. It would generate an additional EUR 15 million in annual revenue and EUR 12 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization – EBITDA, the announcement reads.

Econergy said its portfolio of solar, wind and storage projects in Romania amounts to 3.5 GW. It includes 473 MW in operation or facilities that are ready to connect, 763 MW under construction and 395 MW scheduled to begin construction by the end of the year. Total project pipeline exceeds 14 GW.

Post Views:28
October 6, 2025
by in News

Romanian town signs partnership for 200 MW solar park with BESS

A firm recently established by Turkish and Romanian investors has launched a public-private partnership with the local authority in Târgu Lăpuș in northern Transylvania. They are planning a hybrid power plant worth EUR 100 million.

A public-private partnership in the making in northern Romania is aimed at building a 200 MW photovoltaic plant, the largest in Transylvania, with a battery energy storage system, 2Mnews reported. Global Energy Asset, a firm founded by Turkish and Romanian investors less than half a year ago, has signed a deal with the municipal authority in Târgu Lăpuș.

The investors value the project at EUR 100 million. They intend to install the facility on 200 hectares on the territory of the town, also known as Magyarlápos. Târgu Lăpuș is in Maramureș County.

The seat of Global Energy Asset, formerly known as Global Finance Asset, is Tunari in Ilfov county near Bucharest. In addition to financial benefits and covering the costs of electricity for street lighting, its representatives offered the local authority scholarships for children and sponsorship of events and institutions, the article reveals.

The project firm’s largest shareholder reportedly has ties with Feridun Geçgel of Astor Enerji

Muhammed Ishak Çiftçi, who has Romanian citizenship, controls 48% of the project firm. According to the news outlet, he is associated with Turkish billionaire Feridun Geçgel, Chairman of the Board of Astor Enerji.

It is the largest manufacturer of transformers in Turkey. Astor Enerji entered the Romanian photovoltaic market this year by acquiring four projects for 279 MW in total.

In August, Swiss energy storage provider Energy Vault agreed to supply up to 2 GWh of battery capacity for the Turkish company’s future solar power plants in Romania. Astor Enerji is listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (Borsa Istanbul).

Head of Global Energy Asset, lawyer Cătălin Iulian Marin, holds 25%, and there are four more co-owners.

Approving the proposal for the public-private partnership, Târgu Lăpuș town hall cited the need for business ventures amid economic difficulties. Namely, furniture manufacturer Taparo, which supplied IKEA and was the biggest business in the area, has become insolvent.

Post Views:54
October 6, 2025
by in News

Sunterra RE equips its PV plants in Bulgaria with batteries totaling 156 MW

Bulgarian solar power plant operator Sunterra RE added co-located energy storage to its operational portfolio. The company’s three photovoltaic systems, with 524 MW in combined peak capacity, now also have batteries of 156 MW and 312 MWh in total.

With the ongoing solar boom in Bulgaria, investors have lately also been rushing to set up co-located and standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS). Bridging the gap between the peaks of daily photovoltaic production and power consumption is one of the key factors for the energy transition – stabilizing prices and the electricity system’s stability. Sunterra RE – Santera RE in Bulgarian – stands out with a large new operational solar and battery portfolio.

In its latest updates, the company revealed that it has put three BESS facilities into operation. They are co-located with its photovoltaic plants of 524 MW in total peak capacity.

There are 77 lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery units now online. They have an overall capability of 156 MW and a duration of two hours. It translates to 312 MWh in storage capacity.

The investments received support through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), funded from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility – RRF. Sunterra RE said it completed them in less than a year.

Galabovo BESS accounts for half of battery operating power

The Kaloyan solar power plant of 208 MW, also known as Dalgo Pole, was the biggest in Bulgaria for a short while. It is backed with a 47 MW / 94 MWh facility, comprising 23 battery units.

The BESS investment at the site just north of Plovdiv was worth BGN 31.7 million (EUR 16.2 million).

The three subsidized battery projects were completed in less than a year

Accompanying the Galabovo solar power plant (201 MW) is a BESS with 75 MW in operating power. Sunterra RE said it consists of 37 battery containers. The Galabovo municipality is east of Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city.

The remaining seventeen units, of 34 MW, make up the battery energy storage system at the Karlovo solar power plant. The PV facility in the eponymous municipality north of Kaloyanovo, has 115 MW.

The company’s fourth photovoltaic plant, in Pleven in the north, has only 9.6 MW.

Sunterra RE to expand its three new energy storage facilities by over 1 GWh altogether

Sunterra RE recently entered into a strategic partnership with Sungrow to expand the three BESS by more than 1 GWh in total. The deal is for the China-based partner’s MV-Power Titan 2.0 LFP units and accompanying equipment and software.

The city of Lovech, northeast of Sofia, hosts the strongest BESS in the Balkans – of 124.1 MW and 496.4 MWh. It is a standalone battery facility, part of a closed power distribution system.

Renalfa IPP and Eurowind Energy are installing a 315 MW / 760 MWh BESS at their Tenevo PV plant. They plan to turn it into the largest and most complex hybrid power plant in Bulgaria.

Post Views:41
October 3, 2025
by in News

Batteries totaling 5,899 MWh in grid connection procedure in Serbia

Investors in Serbia are obtaining approvals for connecting their planned battery energy storage systems of an overall 2,021 MW and 5,899 MWh to the grid. The projects are for standalone batteries and ones that would be co-located with power plants.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are rapidly expanding worldwide, and Southeast Europe is no exception. European Union member states in the region such as Bulgaria and Romania are making major strides, while the other countries are trying to catch up. For example, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

As of September 29, Serbia’s transmission system operator (TSO) Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) received a total of 12 applications for the development of connection studies for standalone BESS, Nebojša Vučinić, manager of the Development Division of EMS, told Balkan Green Energy News.

Two applications were submitted in January for the study development interval of March 1 to June 30, 2025, and ten more were received for the current interval, which lasts from September 1 to December 31. Out of the first two applications, the one from Green BESS KV is no longer valid, because the firm didn’t submit a bank guarantee.

EMS develops connection studies every year in two intervals.

The following companies are in the process of connecting standalone BESS:

  • MKBDP Energy
  • Green Land New Energy
  • Green Mountain New Energy
  • BP WPP
  • Blue BESS KV
  • Red BESS KV
  • Yellow BESS KV
  • ENLIGHTNES PV OPERATIONS
  • ENLIGHTNES PV PARK
  • Gridflex

As for the status of their applications, MKBDP Energy has submitted a bank guarantee, and the signing of the grid connection contract is expected.

For the other ten requests, the grid connection studies are underway. They are expected to be completed by December 31.

Standalone storage facilities are planned in Valjevo, Vranje, Subotica, Kovačica, Vršac, Leskovac, Kragujevac, Kruševac, Jagodina, and Ćuprija.

A total of 55 battery projects are in the connection procedure

The 11 standalone storage projects amount to 1,072.66 MW and 2,981.98 MWh altogether, Vučinić said.

The 44 storage facilities that would be co-located with power plants utilizing variable renewable energy sources would have 948.46 MW and 2,917.31 MWh, as stipulated in the Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources.

All battery storage projects in the grid connection process amount to 2,021.12 MW and 5,899.29 MWh, Vučinić stressed.

MKBDP Energy’s project has advanced the most in the connection process

According to Vučinić, implementation of BESS projects depends on the progress that an investor achieves. Currently, MKBDP Energy’s investment has passed the most milestones in the connection process, he added.

EMS noted that the grid connection process for standalone battery storage is defined by the Law on Energy and bylaws.

The deployment of standalone batteries complements the integration of power plants running on variable renewable sources

The state-owned company sees no obstacles to integrating standalone BESS into the transmission system. The TSO expressed commitment to assisting investors while maintaining the safety of the entire power system’s operation.

EMS also called the increase in applications for standalone batteries a positive development.

The emergence of standalone batteries complements the integration of power plants utilizing variable renewable energy, and since a large number of such power plants are expected to be connected, the integration of standalone storage helps the power system’s flexibility and safety, Vučinić underlined.

Post Views:32
October 2, 2025
by in News

European day-ahead power market rolls out 15-minute trading intervals

The Single Day-Ahead Coupling area split its hourly units into 15-minute intervals for electricity trading. The change, affecting most European markets, is aimed at enhancing the integration of renewables by making flexibility and balancing more efficient.

After delays and intensive testing, the European wholesale electricity market switched to a 15-minute market time unit (MTU) from hourly blocks within the Single Day-Ahead Coupling (SDAC) mechanism. The transition was implemented across all bidding zones and bidding zone borders, according to the All NEMOs Committee, gathering nominated electricity market operators.

Thirty transmission system operators were involved in the move, aimed at creating an integrated pan-European cross-zonal day-ahead electricity market. Only Great Britain, Switzerland, the Western Balkans, Turkey and Cyprus, the European Union’s only non-interconnected member state, are outside of the SDAC region.

The first trading sessions were held at power exchanges yesterday, for delivery today. So far there were no indications of glitches with the quarter-hourly products.

A more than a year-long testing campaign for the 15-minute MTU solution included the validation of local, regional and cross-border functionalities, verification of connectivity between parties and confirmation of overall system readiness, the Market Coupling Steering Committee, MCSC, said last month.

Also of note, Cyprus launched its electricity exchange yesterday, with day-ahead, forward and balancing markets. In spot trading, the interval is 30 minutes.

Benefits from trading blocks with shorter intervals

The European Union is pushing the electricity market to improve efficiency by matching production and consumption more accurately. With the rising shares of solar and wind power in the energy mix, the frequency and intensity of fluctuations from weather changes are growing as well.

As the energy transition and digitalization progress, market time units could get shorter and shorter

The 15-minute interval captures the changes better than the one-hour block, reducing balancing needs and costs and freeing up capacity. As the energy transition and digitalization progress, market time units could get shorter and shorter. Importantly, it implies an exponential rise in computing power.

Wind and clouds aren’t very predictable, so unmatched production forecasts cause imbalances. It can burden the intraday market, where they are corrected. Shorter intervals lower the deviations.

Opportunity for battery storage deployment

With 15-minute products, more short-term fluctuations will already be captured in the day-ahead auction, Vattenfall said in a comment.

“Generation and demand can now be mapped much more precisely. We can submit more accurate forecasts, market renewables more effectively, deploy batteries and pumped storage more efficiently, and significantly increase system flexibility,” the company’s Head of Short-Term Asset Optimization Jörg Seidel pointed out.

Consumers could also benefit, according to the Swedish energy producer and supplier. More precise price signals open new savings potential through dynamic tariffs and smart meters, enabling households to use electricity when it is cheapest, it explained. It could make heat pumps, photovoltaic systems, batteries, and electric vehicle charging more efficient and affordable.

“Flexibility is becoming the currency of the energy transition,” Seidel stressed.

Nevertheless, nothing changes for small consumers including households until they get an electricity meter that can track quarter-hourly blocks.

With higher fluctuations in shorter intervals, opportunities arise for operators of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and other storage and balancing technologies, which stabilizes the electricity system. The switch to the 15-minute MTU is mostly beneficial for aggregators as well, reducing their exposure to penalties for failing to meet forecasted levels of production.

Post Views:28
September 30, 2025
by in News

Neptune energy confirms huge lithium carbonate reserves in Germany

Neptune Energy, a German company known for oil and gas exploration and production, obtained the country’s first lithium production license last year, and now it has confirmed resources of 43 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in the Altmark region of Saxony-Anhalt. It could reshape the outlook for battery raw material supply in Germany and Europe.

Primarily engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, Neptune Energy has been investing increasingly in low-carbon and renewable energy projects.

The company was the first in Germany to obtain a production permit for lithium. It also holds three exploration licenses for lithium in the Altmark region of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Natural gas has been produced in the Altmark region for more than half a century. Numerous old and active wells still provide access to deep underground layers including saltwater.

In November last year, Neptune Energy started a pilot project for lithium extraction from such brine with French technology partner Geolith. The company uses an environmentally friendly process known as direct lithium extraction (DLE) from brine. It involves no open pit mining, no evaporation ponds, and minimal land requirements.

The company has launched its third pilot project for direct lithium extraction from brine

In June, the company commissioned a second pilot plant, supplied by California-based Lilac Solutions, producing battery-grade lithium using an ion exchange process. The second pilot was completed in August, ahead of its original schedule to run until 2026.

A third pilot project has been underway since mid-September to evaluate an adsorption process. Subject to further mining permits, a demonstration phase with a fully integrated extraction plant will follow as the next step toward commercial production, the company said.

Altmark holds reserves of 43 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent

Neptune Energy’s initial internal estimate was that the Altmark region hosted 70 million tons of lithium carbonate, enough to extract 25,000 tons annually – sufficient for batteries for about 500,000 electric vehicles. An independent evaluation by Sproule ERCE confirmed resources of 43 million tons of LCE. Although lower than the original estimate, northern Saxony-Anhalt still hosts one of the world’s largest project-based lithium resources.

Since lithium is a key raw material for electric-vehicle batteries and energy storage, and Germany, with its strong automotive industry, currently depends on imports, information about lithium reserves in Altmark could have a significant impact on the domestic and European markets.

“This new assessment underscores the great potential of our license areas in Saxony-Anhalt. This enables us to contribute significantly to the German and European supply market for the critical raw material lithium,” said Andreas Scheck, Neptune Energy’s CEO.

Post Views:84