May 29, 2025
by in News

NGEN showcases solutions at BEF 2025 for decentralized electricity grid of tomorrow

Slovenia-based NGEN, widely regarded as the most innovative energy company in the SEE region, is expanding throughout Europe with its software platforms and equipment, as well as battery energy storage systems for decentralized grids that enable scaling up the decarbonization of the electricity sector. Co-Founder and CEO Roman Bernard said at the Belgrade Energy Forum 2025 that the company is establishing a digital endpoint for every network element. It enables real-time control over production and consumption, preventing blackouts and providing cybersecurity. At the conference, NGEN presented its services for the construction and operation of BESS and access to all segments of the electricity market.

In NGEN’s vision, the electricity system becomes fully digital and decentralized, with every house and business taking an active part in it.

Grid congestion is becoming more frequent, limiting the current rapid deployment of renewables. Most of Europe has centralized networks, where energy flows in one direction, from large power plants to consumers. Grid balancing is still conducted on a 15-minute basis, which is too slow for real-time demand.

NGEN has created platforms for energy that is produced, stored and consumed locally. It is developing a more efficient and reliable environment that can keep up with the scaling up of renewable energy technologies.

Photo: NGEN

NGEN has answers for all challenges of power system

The Slovenia-based company is tackling all current challenges that the power system is facing, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Roman Bernard said at Belgrade Energy Forum – BEF 2025. NGEN, the technology sponsor of this year’s conference, operates in nine European countries.

[wpcc-iframe title=”Roman Bernard, Co founder & CEO, Ngen at the Belgrade Energy Forum 2025″ width=”500″ height=”281″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/BchbVdSzoMo?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen=””]

Pointing to the pace of increase in solar and wind power plant capacity over the past years, Bernard said a centralized system wouldn’t be able to support the overall production and consumption anymore. “We want to make a digital endpoint for every unit that is included in the network. Through it we can communicate and raise or decrease consumption or production,” he explained.

Bernard: Cybersecurity is the most important part of digitalization

It enables control over the system, as otherwise it is in risk of blackouts, while such a transformation also brings significant savings in infrastructure, according to Bernard. He also stressed cybersecurity as the most important part of digitalization.

The CEO of NGEN, which stands for next generation, added that the sector needs to be further regulated across Europe to facilitate the construction of a new kind of infrastructure, as well as to motivate the corporate sector to get involved.

The company’s representatives Marco Scholz and Patrick Simon held a presentation at BEF 2025

Instant frequency response preventing cascading blackouts

In Bernard’s view, now is the time for battery energy storage systems (BESS), after a massive renewables capacity was added to the system in the last seven or eight years. The CEO was one of the panelists at BEF 2025 in a session on flexibility services called Market Flexibility: The Backbone of a Resilient Energy System.

NGEN developed its own software as well as hardware for running decentralized systems, cybersecurity and access to all segments of the energy market. The software has never gone down so far, its representatives said during their presentation at the conference. The firm is a contractor for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of BESS, also providing maintenance and operation.

[wpcc-iframe title=”BEF 2025, Grid Intelligence for energy security how NGEN Synaptic prevents systmatic blackouts” width=”500″ height=”281″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/kcm6UtVTcpA?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen=””]

Its intelligent software ESGP, Energy Smart Grid Platform, provides instant frequency response preventing cascading blackouts. NGEN’s digital platform, called SG Connect, reacts automatically, providing backup in the event of a failure in under 20 milliseconds, enabling real-time grid balancing. At the same time, it monitors and manages in two-second intervals, through the NGEN Synaptic artificial intelligence (AI controller).

It is a plug-and-play module, installed at energy assets, connecting them to ESGP, the transmission system operator (TSO) and all relevant markets, the company said. On the customer side is the SG Connect application.

NGEN has projects of 2 GWh in Europe under development or in construction. As for notable operational facilities, it installed a BESS in Kidričevo in Slovenia, with 35 MW in operating power and 70 MWh in capacity. The facility is about to get an extension of 70 MW – 140 MWh.

Post Views:54
May 13, 2025
by in News

Significant step for citizen energy in BiH – Republic of Srpska enables establishment of first renewable energy communities in region

The recent adoption of the rulebook on renewable energy communities in the Republic of Srpska is a big step in enabling citizens, local authorities, and businesspeople in Bosnia and Herzegovina to join forces and produce electricity for their own needs. It was a key step in introducing citizen energy. The concept is a great opportunity for the Balkans, because it can provide many benefits like lowering bills for consumers, and a sustainable energy transition, according to Damir Miljević, a member of the Regional Center for Sustainable Energy Transition (RESET) from BiH.

The new rulebook on renewable energy communities in the Republic of Srpska, one of the two entities making up Bosnia and Herzegovina, defines the activities of renewable energy communities (REC).

Energy transition consultant Damir Miljević explained to Balkan Green Energy News that REC refers to the production of electricity from renewables, while citizen energy communities (CEC) include all types of energy. The rulebook adopted by the Republic of Srpska, in his words, is the first in the region. It is focused on enabling the production of electricity for self-consumption (prosumers) primarily from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro energy.

Energy communities are an opportunity for citizens and businesspeople lacking suitable roofs for photovoltaics

He says the rulebook finally created the conditions at the local level – where the energy transition is supposed to be conducted in the first place – for citizens, local authorities, and businesspeople to join forces and produce electricity by installing a facility together. They can use some of the produced electricity for their own needs and inject the rest into the grid.

Citizens and small entrepreneurs who don’t have suitable roofs for solar power plants and municipal authorities with many roofs at their disposal as well as their own land can jointly finance and use such facilities. They will benefit both on the individual and collective level, Miljević pointed out. Without the communities framework, it wouldn’t be possible, in his opinion.

“In addition, conditions are created through RES communities to cede a part of the energy that the community’s facility generates, if the members of the community agree, to vulnerable categories of the population, contributing to the fight against energy poverty that way,” said Miljević, who is among the speakers at the upcoming Belgrade Energy Forum 2025 (BEF 2025).

Miljević: Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske needs to do its part

The rulebook’s entry into force enabled citizens, local firms and local communities to establish renewable energy communities, Miljević said and added that the only serious remaining obstacle is the refusal of government-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) to sign new supply contracts.

Prosumers in the entity can’t fully exercise their rights, despite an order from the Regulatory Commission for Energy of the Republic of Srpska, as they haven’t yet received the new supply contracts from ERS, he pointed out.

Citizen energy is a great opportunity for Balkan states

Damir Miljević (photo: Balkan Green Energy News)

Miljević stressed that rulebooks are among the steps in introducing citizen energy. Miljević noted that the other parts of BiH haven’t established regulatory frameworks. The Brčko District has no bylaws, while the Federation of BiH has adopted the rules for renewable energy communities, but hasn’t simplified its rules for connecting prosumers and the communities to the grid.

Production onsite for consumption should become priority in energy policies and for decarbonization efforts in the Western Balkans

In Miljević’s opinion, the resistance is enormous and partly caused by the lack of recognition of the importance and role of citizen energy in countries such as the Balkans.

In contrast to developed countries – for instance, household consumption in the European Union has a 25% share in total final electricity consumption – in BiH and Serbia it is 42%, and in Montenegro it amounts to around 50%, he noted.

It means the concept of producing for consumption onsite should be a priority in energy policy and for decarbonization efforts in the Western Balkans, Miljević stressed. It implies putting solar panels on roofs on a significant scale, which is the essence of citizen energy, he added.

Citizen energy isn’t a priority in domestic and international policies implemented in the region

In addition to reducing electricity bills for customers, the concept contributes to reducing distribution and transmission losses and required investments in new grid capacities and new large power plants, and improves the security of supply and energy independence of a country, according to Miljević.

Citizen energy, in his words, is the only solution for a safe and sustainable energy transition and decarbonization of domestic power consumption, but unfortunately it isn’t a priority in domestic and international policies implemented in the region.

The lobbying effect of investors in the market shouldn’t be underestimated either, nor the fear and resistance within the politics and state-owned power utilities to the decentralization, democratization, and demonopolization of power generation that citizen energy brings, Miljević concluded.

Post Views:40
April 15, 2025
by in News

Croatia changing law on renewables – new rules for prosumers, decentralized power production

The Government of Croatia has adopted the amendments to the law on renewable energy sources and high-efficiency cogeneration. They change rules for consumers producing electricity for self-consumption, facilitate the establishment of citizen energy communities and regulate decentralized energy production.

The amendments align the Croatian legislation with the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive and bring benefits to citizens, entrepreneurs, and investors, the Ministry of Economy said.

One of important innovations is a new scheme for the production of energy for self-consumption. Instead of the current net metering mechanism, the new law introduces net billing. It values more fairly the surplus electricity that prosumers deliver to the grid, according to the ministry.

The grid costs charged to prosumers will be aligned with the actual amount of electricity that they take from the grid

Consumers – citizens and entrepreneurs that produce energy for their own needs, will pay grid costs matching the amount of electricity they actually take from it, enabling a sustainable and fair system for all users, the ministry added.

Existing prosumers will have ten years for the transition to the new scheme.

The bill enables the production of electricity for self-consumption in remote locations, provided that all metering points are registered with the same consumer. The ministry expects the measure to pave the way for greater investments, flexibility, and decentralized energy production.

Waste separation is a condition for granting incentives for waste incineration

The rules for establishing citizen energy communities have been simplified, to further strengthen their role in the energy transition. The amendments stricten the criteria for the sustainability of biofuels and they prohibit incentivizing the incineration of waste not from a system of separate collection.

The upcoming law sets the basis for a plan for the development of electricity infrastructure and storage capacities. It will create the conditions for greater integration of renewable energy sources into the grid, the ministry stressed.

“With this law we are taking an important step forward in the energy transition, ensuring a balance between the interests of citizens, the economy, and the energy system, and creating the foundations for a sustainable development of the Croatian energy sector in the long term,” Minister Ante Šušnjar stated.

Post Views:25
April 14, 2025
by in News

Belgrade Energy Forum 2025 – 50 speakers at eight panels to track pace of SEE energy transition

The agenda of the third Belgrade Energy Forum, taking place on May 14-15, has been finalized with the addition of further prominent energy experts and companies. The conference, organized by Southeast Europe’s leading energy news portal, Balkan Green Energy News, will feature eight panels covering key topics in the energy sector, with an impressive lineup of speakers. Make sure you register on time via this link.

The Belgrade Energy Forum will once again be a meeting place for representatives of regional and international institutions and organizations, as well as the business community from across the region, Europe, and the world.

Eight panels featuring more than 50 speakers will offer an overview of the current challenges in the energy sector. Conference participants will hear in-depth analyses of the current situation, but also projections for the future. The thread that connects everything at this year’s BEF is digitalization – it permeates energy production, consumption, and storage and allows enough flexibility for the stable functioning of the energy systems of the future, where renewable energy will dominate.

Chikán: Electricity knows no borders

One of the key speakers at the conference, Alteo Group CEO Chikán Attila, will lead the company’s high-level delegation. Alteo has recently launched a regional expansion drive, aiming to establish a green platform of up to 2 GW in energy production, including operation, software, maintenance, storage, and waste management.

The Hungarian company primarily targets its home market, Slovakia, Croatia, and Serbia.

“Electricity knows no borders, therefore partnerships and collaborations among energy market players are essential, even at the regional level. Such cooperation is vital to ensuring the security and reliability of electricity supply, facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources, and providing essential digital solutions, supported by expertise and professional know-how,” Chikán stressed.

Decarbonization strategies for power generation in Southeast Europe 2040/2050

  • Dejan Paravan, CEO, GEN Energija
  • Dušan Živković, CEO, EPS
  • Eric Scotto, CEO, AKUO
  • Milutin Đukanović, Chairman, EPCG Board of Directors
  • Neda Lazendić, Country Manager, WV-International

Although at the heart of national energy systems, state-owned power utilities are faced with an environment that has changed and continues to change rapidly. The key shift is the entry of private capital into electricity production through the construction of solar power plants and wind farms.

The energy transition, at this stage, requires cooperation between state power utilities and private companies. With decarbonization as the main objective, the key challenge lies in choosing appropriate strategies and electricity generation technologies.

Moderating the panel will be Dražen Jakšić, Director of the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP).

“The transition to a low-carbon energy system is a key challenge for our region, demanding innovation, investment, and cooperation. As a sponsor of the Belgrade Energy Forum, EIHP is committed to fostering dialogue and driving sustainable energy solutions. I look forward to an insightful discussion,” he stressed.

Jakšić: The transition to a low-carbon energy system is a key challenge for our region, demanding innovation, investment, and cooperation

In recent years, nuclear energy has emerged as a possible alternative. There is hardly a better interlocutor on this topic in the region than Dejan Paravan, the top man of GEN Energija, the Slovenian company developing the Krško 2 nuclear power plant project.

Dušan Živković, CEO of Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS), will tell us about the Serbian power utility’s plans when it comes to nuclear energy.

Živković: Without decarbonization, the region’s energy sector has no future

“Without decarbonization, there is no future for the region’s energy sector, and that is the biggest challenge ahead of us. It is essential to accelerate decisions and ensure sustainable project financing mechanisms that will provide energy security for every country and power utility in the decades to come. By investing in existing capacities and new renewable energy projects, EPS, as the biggest utility in the region, will make its own contribution to energy security. That’s why we have initiated a transformation process – because we need to be more profitable, more efficient, and fully prepared to tackle any challenge,” Živković pointed out.

The energy transition, in his words, is the path EPS has chosen, and all its plans will align with that goal, based on the belief that the diversification of energy sources and new technologies are essential for achieving it. “These are just some of the key messages I will share with the participants of this year’s BEF,” said Živković.

Eric Scotto, co-founder and CEO of French company Akuo, will share the latest information on the energy transition from across the globe.

The company’s portfolio consists of 1.9 GW of power plants in operation and under construction, with a further 12 GW in the pipeline in more than 20 countries around the world, including a number of countries in the Southeast Europe region.

Integration of Western Balkans electricity markets into internal European market through market coupling

  • Anže Predovnik, Director, ADEX Group
  • Ivan Asanović, Executive Director, CGES
  • Marko Bislimoski, President, Energy, Water Services and Municipal Waste Management Services Regulatory Commission of the Republic of North Macedonia
  • Zoran Vujasinović, Policy Officer, ACER

The integration of the Western Balkans’ electricity markets with the European Union (EU) markets is a process that deserves much greater public attention than it currently receives. It is safe to say that its true importance will become evident only once it is completed.

Full integration will unlock significant synergies, maximizing the benefits of a unified market by enhancing supply security, accelerating the integration of renewable energy sources, and fostering greater competition and transparency.

Moderator Dejan Stojčevski, CTO of the SEEPEX power exchange, says the panel seeks to encourage dialogue on the importance of cross-border collaboration and market efficiency in bolstering energy security and sustainability in the region.

Bislimoski: The time for inspiring speeches is over. Geopolitical developments demand action – now!

Since market integration is largely the job of regulators, the challenges they face will be analyzed by Marko Bislimoski, president of North Macedonia’s Energy and Water Services Regulatory Commission (RKE).

He says that three things are essential for the regional integration of electricity markets into a single European market: investment, investment, and nothing but investment. In his words, the energy crisis demonstrated that limitations become a reality when governments fail to prioritize the implementation of key energy infrastructure capacities in their budgets.

“This past winter, the region faced the highest electricity prices compared to the rest of Europe. Why? Because the implementation of energy investments is not just a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Today, more than ever before, the countries of the former Yugoslavia must demonstrate maturity. These are the years when energy independence will be built through action. The time for inspiring speeches is over. Geopolitical developments demand action – now!” he stressed.

Energy revolution underway – uniting efforts to deliver green, intelligent and sustainable energy solutions

  • Aleš Prešern, VP, Head of Southeast Europe, Siemens Energy
  • Maja Turković, SVP, CWP Europe
  • Ann-Catherine de Tourtier, Managing Director Mediterranean, Nordex Group

As much as contesting the energy transition may be futile, there are still those who find such a view meaningful, especially in light of certain global political developments. That’s why it is important to give the floor to some of the transition leaders and let them testify that an energy revolution is indeed underway in the region.

The panel’s moderator Mirza Kušljugić – professor, energy expert, and one of the founders of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Centre for Sustainable Energy Transition Centre (RESET) – goes one step further to show that change is not only happening but also accelerating.

“The key words are a new energy paradigm driven by the four Ds – decarbonization, digitalization, decentralization, and democratization. But now we also have another D: disruption, or radical change in the industry and market caused by technological innovation. Of course, we must focus the discussion – from global processes (China, the US, the EU, the Global South) to where the region stands in all of this,” Kušljugić points out, providing a perfect introduction to the panel.

Turković: It’s more important than ever to have open discussions about real solutions

Aleš Prešern, Vice President and Head of Southeast Europe at Siemens Energy, has worked in the energy sector for more than 20 years. He recalls that digitalization is key, along with grid resilience and electricity transmission.

With nearly 100,000 employees in more than 90 countries, Siemens Energy develops the energy systems of the future, ensuring that the growing energy demand of the global community is met reliably and sustainably. The technologies created in the company’s research departments and factories drive the energy transition and provide the base for one sixth of the world’s electricity generation.

As a leader in renewable energy development, CWP is actively working on several large-scale projects across the SEE region with a total capacity exceeding 7 GW, positioning the company at the forefront of the region’s energy transition. Given its global expertise and insights into the regional energy market, CWP’s contribution to this year’s conference will be invaluable.

Maja Turković, Executive Vice President of CWP Europe, says that BEF 2025 is a key gathering of leading experts driving the energy transition in Southeast Europe.

“As this shift gains momentum, it’s more important than ever to have open, action-driven discussions about real solutions to the challenges and opportunities ahead,” says Turković.

PPAs as a key to renewable energy growth in SEE

  • Nikola Gazdov, Chairman, Association for production, storage and trading of electricity – APSTE
  • Natalija Ljubić, Manager PPA & BESS Transactions, Pexapark
  • Ivana Đurović, Category Manager Renewable Energy, Knauf Group

Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are, like flexibility, a tool for fixing the imperfections of renewable energy sources, and they are recognized as a key mechanism within the new electricity market design. They ensure price stability, attract new investment, and accelerate the decarbonization of industry.

Is the region ready for PPAs? What are the dominant models? What is the current market practice? How are PPAs viewed by financial institutions? What do they offer to end consumers and what to investors in new power plants? Answers to these questions will be sought at the panel moderated by Mislav Slade-Šilović, Energy, Utilities & Resources Consulting Leader for Southeast Europe and member of the core PPA team at consultancy PwC.

Experience with PPAs for more than 500 GWh of electricity

Slade-Šilović’s experience in concluding PPAs for the production and consumption of over 500 GWh of electricity per year in the SEE region will certainly be of help.

Nikola Gazdov, Chairman of Bulgaria’s association for electricity production, storage, and trading (APSTE) and member of the Board of Directors of the European solar industry association SolarPower Europe, has no shortage of experience either. As CEO of three companies – Enery Element GmbH, Element Power Group, and Renergy – he is involved in the development of a large number of projects.

Pexapark, a company that provides logistics to businesses in the renewable energy market, is synonymous with PPAs in Europe. Natalija Ljubić is the Manager for PPA and BESS Transactions at Pexapark, which has helped conclude contracts for facilities with a combined capacity exceeding 35 GW.

The views of electricity buyers – without whom there would be no PPAs – will be conveyed by Ivana Đurović, Category Manager for Renewable Energy at Knauf Group.

Market flexibility: the backbone of a resilient energy system

  • Roman Bernard, CEO, NGEN
  • Luka Renko, COO, KOER
  • Alteo Group representative
  • Nikolaj Candellari, Project Manager and Market Intelligence, CyberGrid
  • Marko Zarić, EMS

Moderating the panel will be Elena Boškov Kovač, co-founder and CEO of Blueprint Energy Solutions, and a leading voice on market flexibility in Europe.

She will host representatives of the sector’s leading companies: NGEN, Alteo, KOER, CyberGrid, as well as Serbia’s transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije (EMS).

“Excited to moderate a high-impact panel on ‘Market Flexibility: The Backbone of a Resilient Energy System’ at the Belgrade Energy Forum 2025,” says Boškov Kovač, whose work has shaped smart grid strategies and digitalization innovation agendas across the EU and under ETIP SNET.

As Europe accelerates its shift to renewables, market flexibility is emerging as the cornerstone of reliable, affordable, and decarbonized energy systems. With the European flexibility market promising to unlock over EUR 20 billion in savings, this session will explore how digital tools, flexible assets, and new market designs are unlocking value and resilience across the grid.

Slovenia’s NGEN is the technology sponsor of BEF 2025

Slovenian energy company NGEN, the technology sponsor of the conference, has managed to establish itself as a significant player in European markets in just five years of operation and is now ready to enter the Western Balkans’ markets.

Specializing in premium battery storage systems and smart energy solutions, the company is developing systems with a total capacity of 1.6 GWh in European countries. Its founder, Roman Bernard, will be speaking at the panel.

Also taking part in the panel will be Luka Renko, COO of KOER, a pioneer in virtual power plants in the region.

Rounding off the lineup of exceptional panelists will be Nikolaj Candellari, who is responsible for project management at CyberGrid. The software company was acquired a few years ago by Austria’s EVN, one of the first to demonstrate that greater integration of renewable energy sources, battery storage, and prosumers is not possible without digitalization and software solutions.

In a nutshell, this innovative company stands for the digitalization of the energy sector, with a focus on virtual power plants.

Post Views:42