January 9, 2026
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After adding PV unit, Slovenian gas power plant TEB launches battery project

The management of the Brestanica gas power plant in Slovenia has decided to diversify its activities by installing a battery energy storage system (BESS) of 40 MW in operating power and 80 MWh in capacity. The project follows the construction of a ground-mounted solar power plant on the facility’s premises and photovoltaic units on roofs and a parking canopy.

Brestanica Thermal Power Plant – Termoelektrarna Brestanica (TEB) is contributing to the flexibility of Slovenia’s energy system with its investments, Naš stik reported. Due to preventive maintenance and rapid response, electricity output reached 35 GWh in 2025, compared to the planned 25 GWh, the report adds.

The firm issued its development strategy for 2025 to 2030 last year and, based on it, decided to launch a project for a two-hour 40 MW battery energy storage system. It translates to 80 MWh in capacity.

The project will strengthen the flexibility of the energy system, enable more efficient integration of renewable sources and confirm TEB’s focus on modern and sustainable solutions, the article adds. “With the investment in the battery storage facility, we are laying the foundations for a reliable and flexible energy future,” Brestanica Thermal Power Plant said.

Among the other priorities for this year are corporate and cybersecurity.

Brestanica Thermal Power Plant is part of state-owned GEN Group. GEN energija, their parent company, operates the Krško nuclear power plant, also known by the acronym NEK and, in Slovenian, JEK. The gas power plant is also in the municipality of Krško, near Slovenia’s border with Croatia.

TEB put into operation a ground-mounted 466 kW solar power plant on its premises last year. Before that, in 2009 and 2010, the gas plant’s operator built two rooftop PV units and one on a parking canopy. They have 170 kW in combined peak capacity.

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January 8, 2026
by in News

After adding PV unit, Slovenian gas power plant TEB launches battery project

The management of the Brestanica gas power plant in Slovenia has decided to diversify its activities by installing a battery energy storage system (BESS) of 40 MW in operating power and 80 MWh in capacity. The project follows the construction of a ground-mounted solar power plant on the facility’s premises and photovoltaic units on roofs and a parking canopy.

Brestanica Thermal Power Plant – Termoelektrarna Brestanica (TEB) is contributing to the flexibility of Slovenia’s energy system with its investments, Naš stik reported. Due to preventive maintenance and rapid response, electricity output reached 35 GWh in 2025, compared to the planned 25 GWh, the report adds.

The firm issued its development strategy for 2025 to 2030 last year and, based on it, decided to launch a project for a two-hour 40 MW battery energy storage system. It translates to 80 MWh in capacity.

The project will strengthen the flexibility of the energy system, enable more efficient integration of renewable sources and confirm TEB’s focus on modern and sustainable solutions, the article adds. “With the investment in the battery storage facility, we are laying the foundations for a reliable and flexible energy future,” Brestanica Thermal Power Plant said.

Among the other priorities for this year are corporate and cybersecurity.

Brestanica Thermal Power Plant is part of state-owned GEN Group. GEN energija, their parent company, operates the Krško nuclear power plant, also known by the acronym NEK and, in Slovenian, JEK. The gas power plant is also in the municipality of Krško, near Slovenia’s border with Croatia.

TEB put into operation a ground-mounted 466 kW solar power plant on its premises last year. Before that, in 2009 and 2010, the gas plant’s operator built two rooftop PV units and one on a parking canopy. They have 170 kW in combined peak capacity.

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January 7, 2026
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China completes grid connection of world’s largest open sea PV plant

CHN Energy declared a 1 GW solar power system that it built off the coast of China’s Shandong province, on the open sea, fully connected to the grid. The facility consists of steel truss platforms on bottom-fixed piles. Just in the past month, the state-owned company commissioned solar power plants of 600 MW and 425 MW, a coal power station of 4 GW and China’s largest gas power unit.

China continues to dominate the energy realm with the world’s largest projects and innovative design. The latest example, on the open sea, is eight kilometers from Kenli district in the city of Dongying in the country’s east. It is a giant solar power plant, but not a floating one.

The Shandong Dongying Kenli (Guohua HG14) facility is on steel truss platforms on bottom-fixed piles. China Energy Investment Corp., also known as CHN Energy, declared the photovoltaic system fully connected to the grid. The initial project of the state-owned enterprise was for 1 GW.

China State Construction Engineering Corp. (CSCEC) so far installed 930 platforms out of 2,934 planned. Each is on four piles, at water depth of one to four meters.

The project on the open sea off Shandong province spans 1,223 hectares. Its developer is CHN Energy’s subsidiary Guohua Energy Investment Co.

Project involves 100 MW in battery storage

According to the latest reports, Guohua HG14 consists of bifacial double-glass modules of 710 W and the annual output, when the facility is completed, is estimated at 1.78 TWh. In earlier updates, 2.37 million monocrystalline solar panels of 550 W each were planned, translating to 1.3 GW in peak capacity. Total investment was valued at CNY 8.1 billion (USD 1.16 billion).

The company reportedly switched to stronger, bifacial solar modules for the project offshore Dongying

The offshore solar power plant on the open sea is connected to the mainland grid with a 66 kV cable. Its first segment came online in November 2024. The project involves a battery energy storage system of 100 MW in capability and 200 MWh in capacity.

Giant solar plant comes online at altitude of 3,000 meters

Just in the past month, CHN Energy commissioned several landmark facilities. A new 600 MW solar power plant is in the Xinjiang province in the west, in Qitai county, near the border with Mongolia.

The company completed another PV system, of 425 MW, via Qinghai Gonghe Co. Part of a 1 GW project with storage, called Guoneng Canadian Solar Hainan, it is located in Gonghe county in Qinghai Province. It is at an altitude of 3,000 meters and above.

Just last week, CHN Energy put into operation the fourth and last 1 GW unit of its coal-fired Guangxi Beihai Power Plant. The complex in Guangxi province in southern China includes a 27.3 MW solar power plant for electric car chargers.

The utility has also launched regular production of the first of two units in its gas power plant Anji in Zhejiang province. It is the largest and most efficient in the country, CHN Energy pointed out. When the second unit comes online in early 2026, the power plant will have 1.69 GW in capacity.

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January 5, 2026
by in News

China completes grid connection of world’s largest open sea PV plant

CHN Energy declared a 1 GW solar power system that it built off the coast of China’s Shandong province, on the open sea, fully connected to the grid. The facility consists of steel truss platforms on bottom-fixed piles. Just in the past month, the state-owned company commissioned solar power plants of 600 MW and 425 MW, a coal power station of 4 GW and China’s largest gas power unit.

China continues to dominate the energy realm with the world’s largest projects and innovative design. The latest example, on the open sea, is eight kilometers from Kenli district in the city of Dongying in the country’s east. It is a giant solar power plant, but not a floating one.

The Shandong Dongying Kenli (Guohua HG14) facility is on steel truss platforms on bottom-fixed piles. China Energy Investment Corp., also known as CHN Energy, declared the photovoltaic system fully connected to the grid. The initial project of the state-owned enterprise was for 1 GW.

China State Construction Engineering Corp. (CSCEC) so far installed 930 platforms out of 2,934 planned. Each is on four piles, at water depth of one to four meters.

The project on the open sea off Shandong province spans 1,223 hectares. Its developer is CHN Energy’s subsidiary Guohua Energy Investment Co.

Project involves 100 MW in battery storage

According to the latest reports, Guohua HG14 consists of bifacial double-glass modules of 710 W and the annual output, when the facility is completed, is estimated at 1.78 TWh. In earlier updates, 2.37 million monocrystalline solar panels of 550 W each were planned, translating to 1.3 GW in peak capacity. Total investment was valued at CNY 8.1 billion (USD 1.16 billion).

The company reportedly switched to stronger, bifacial solar modules for the project offshore Dongying

The offshore solar power plant on the open sea is connected to the mainland grid with a 66 kV cable. Its first segment came online in November 2024. The project involves a battery energy storage system of 100 MW in capability and 200 MWh in capacity.

Giant solar plant comes online at altitude of 3,000 meters

Just in the past month, CHN Energy commissioned several landmark facilities. A new 600 MW solar power plant is in the Xinjiang province in the west, in Qitai county, near the border with Mongolia.

The company completed another PV system, of 425 MW, via Qinghai Gonghe Co. Part of a 1 GW project with storage, called Guoneng Canadian Solar Hainan, it is located in Gonghe county in Qinghai Province. It is at an altitude of 3,000 meters and above.

Just last week, CHN Energy put into operation the fourth and last 1 GW unit of its coal-fired Guangxi Beihai Power Plant. The complex in Guangxi province in southern China includes a 27.3 MW solar power plant for electric car chargers.

The utility has also launched regular production of the first of two units in its gas power plant Anji in Zhejiang province. It is the largest and most efficient in the country, CHN Energy pointed out. When the second unit comes online in early 2026, the power plant will have 1.69 GW in capacity.

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November 4, 2025
by in News

North Macedonia’s ESM needs investments of EUR 3 billion to replace coal power

Power utility Elektrani na Severna Makedonija estimated that it requires EUR 3 billion by 2040 to replace electricity from its lignite-fired power plants. According to member of the Board of Directors Ivan Stojanovski, the state-owned company is preparing investments in gas power plants, solar, wind, hydropower and energy storage. He highlighted its plans for a 300 MWh battery and the Bogdanci hybrid energy park.

North Macedonia’s utility Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM), the country’s main electricity producer, generated 60% of the 2024 output in the Bitola and Oslomej coal plants.

A rough estimate is that ESM would have to invest around EUR 3 billion in the next 15 years to replace its power production from lignite, which is baseload energy, Ivan Stojanovski, a member of the Board of Directors and the company’s Chief Financial Officer, told Balkan Green Energy News on the sidelines of the International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development (IFESD-14).

He explained that the transition to green energy is quite expensive. ESM needs to replace the 840 MW in baseload production that the Bitola and Oslomej thermal power plants provide, the executive added.

Hydropower is a domestic electricity source, unlike natural gas

The company opted for investments in diverse energy sources to achieve it, Stojanovski stressed.

Gas power plants provide baseload energy, but at the same time, they turn the spotlight on national security as well as the security of supply, in his words.

Lignite is currently mined in North Macedonia while natural gas must be imported, so gas supply interruption is possible, ESM’s CFO added.

Gas power plants are required, but it is necessary to invest in hydropower as it is a domestic resource, Stojanovski said. On the other hand, hydroelectric plants are more expensive and it takes longer to build them, he noted.

ESM launched the Bitola 3 solar power project

ESM is developing wind and solar power projects as well. Stojanovski highlighted the planned expansion of its Bogdanci wind farm. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is participating in the development of the Miravci wind power project, of at least 100 MW, he recalled.

The company is working on solar power projects Oslomej 1 (10 MW), Oslomej 2 (10 MW), Bitola 1 (20 MW) and Bitola 2 (60 MW), Stojanovski asserted. Bitola 3 endeavor is underway, too, and the financing contract is expected to be signed by the end of the year, he revealed.

The photovoltaic system will have at least 100 MW, Stojanovski asserted.

“We plan to sign a contract next year with Agence Française de Développement (AFD) for a solar power plant in Bogdanci of at least 30 MW and to create a hybrid energy park there – wind, solar, and a battery,” he stated.

According to Stojanovski, the company is developing a battery energy storage project with the EBRD, for up to 300 MWh in capacity. The site is within the REK Bitola coal complex and the facility will be a systemic solution for all the solar power plants there, he explained.

Blended financing as a solution

“EUR 1 billion to EUR 1.3 billion is needed just for solar, wind and batteries. We will need between EUR 500 million and EUR 700 million for gas power plants. Another EUR 1 billion to EUR 1.3 billion would be for large hydropower plants such as Čebren and Vardar Valley, and some smaller projects,” Stojanovski explained.

Asked how the company plans to secure financing, he pointed to blended financing – own sources combined with some participation from international financial institutions. It is important to diversify the sources by opening cooperation with as many financial institutions as possible, in Stojanovski’s view.

ESM traditionally cooperates with the EBRD and KfW. Stojanovski announced that the company would diversify financing by launching cooperation with the World Bank, Italy’s development bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, and AFD.

“It will enable us to access more sources and complement them with financing from local banks. We also tend to obtain support from the state budget over a longer period, 10-15 years, and state guarantees, but also additional funds. This is a financial model that can secure long-term and sustainable financing of infrastructure projects,” Stojanovski said.

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September 29, 2025
by in News

Serbia to sign agreement on gas power plant with Azerbaijan

Serbia has completed the negotiations with Azerbaijan on the construction of a natural gas power plant near the city of Niš, according to Ana Brnabić, the Speaker of the National Assembly. She also said an agreement has been reached on additional quantities of gas that would be supplied to Serbia from the Caucasian country.

The negotiations for the construction of a gas power plant in Niš have been completed, Ana Brnabić said. She added that the facility would be a joint project between Azerbaijan and Serbia, RTS reported.

In mid-November last year President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić revealed that the government was starting talks with Azerbaijan on a possible joint construction of a 1 GW gas power plant in Niš, or two smaller units.

The agreement would likely be signed during the first meeting of the strategic cooperation council

Speaking during her visit to Azerbaijan, Ana Brnabić underlined that the signing of the gas power plant agreement would likely occur in the first meeting of the bilateral strategic cooperation council, when it is most convenient for the presidents, Aleksandar Vučić and Ilham Aliyev.

The investment near Niš would serve as an additional, significant stimulus and guarantee for Serbia’s energy security and stability, she stressed. The gas power plant will have a capacity of around 500 MW, which is of huge significance for Serbia, according to Brnabić.

The investment is estimated at EUR 600 million, she added.

An agreement reached on additional quantities of natural gas will be signed in the coming weeks

The country’s draft 2040 energy strategy includes a plan for a gas-fired cogeneration plant in Niš of 150 MW in electricity capacity and another 100 MW for heat. Another one would be built in Novi Sad. It is envisaged at 350 MW and 100 MW, respectively.

Earlier, Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović stressed that the gas power plant project is important for generating baseload energy and providing the security of supply.

Brnabić also said an agreement on additional quantities of gas has been reached and that the plan was to sign it in the coming weeks. Serbia already has quantities contracted with Azerbaijan, but additional amounts have been secured at the request of President Aleksandar Vučić for the winter months, she explained.

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September 23, 2025
by in News

Romania risks blackouts if it shuts coal plants as scheduled

Minister of Energy Bogdan Ivan claims that energy poverty or even blackouts could hit Romania if it proceeds with the closure of coal plants. Namely, the gas power projects for replacing them are suffering severe delays.

The European Commission has become flexible for the first time in the last four years, said Romania’s Minister of Energy Bogdan-Gruia Ivan. He has asked for a postponement of the deadline for shutting down a group of coal power plants.

They need to be closed by the end of the year. If the coal plants, run by state-owned Complexul Energetic Oltenia (CE Oltenia) go before gas power plants Iernut and Mintia are commissioned, Romania is jeopardized, according to the minister.

Ivan told Digi24.ro he was negotiating with the European Commission on delaying the closure by “a few months.” Romgaz decided last week to cancel the contract with Duro Felguera, the contractor for the Iernut facility.

Energy poverty risk increasing

A study conducted with Romania’s transmission system operator Transelectrica has shown that Romania can otherwise end up in energy poverty and even risk a blackout, he underscored. “Especially in the winter, when we have no solar, when we have no wind power,” Minister Ivan explained.

Furthermore, Romania would like to keep three large coal units and another two in technical reserve for replacement them in case of damage, Ivan revealed. It would ensure a 1 GW minimum coal power supply, he asserted.

Romania requires at least 1 GW in baseload energy from coal for two more years, according to Minister Bogdan Ivan

Simulations showed that the group would need to operate for two years more, at least, until Iernut and Mintia are completed.

“We are pressed for time. We need to conclude contracts for next year. We need to conclude contracts for energy supply, contracts with suppliers, coal stocks. It is a complex of factors that must be organized very well from now on. It is already late, for Romania and for our energy companies,” Ivan stated.

Gas power projects in constant delay

Additionally, gas power plants Turceni (475 MW) and Ișalnița (850 MW) are supposed to replace some of the capacity in the Oltenia complex. The two projects suffered constant delays. The deadlines in the tenders for construction have been pushed back to September 30 and November 14, respectively.

Romania has received billions of euros from the European Union for gas power plants to substitute coal, the minister noted separately. He acknowledged that the projects are still on paper. That’s why today Romanians have almost the highest electricity price in Europe, Ivan claimed.

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September 15, 2025
by in News

Montenegro plans to develop LNG terminal with JERA

The Ministry of Energy and Mining of Montenegro and Japanese company JERA have signed a memorandum of cooperation in the development of projects for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and gas power plant.

The memorandum was signed at the Gastech 2025 conference in Italy by Minister of Energy and Mining Admir Šahmanović and Steve Winn, chief global strategist of JERA. They agreed to explore the possibilities for developing a project of an LNG terminal and associated gas power plant in Montenegro, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mining.

Within the strategic partnership, the government will use JERA’s extensive global experience to enhance its national energy mix, strengthen supply security, support decarbonization goals, and position Montenegro as an important energy hub in the Western Balkans.

The Japanese company and the ministry will conduct a feasibility study for the project

They will carry out a comprehensive feasibility study, covering the technical, commercial, and financial viability of the proposed LNG terminal and associated gas power plant, including an analysis of multiple potential locations.

According to the ministry’s press release, the study will provide detailed data on the cost-effectiveness and future expansion in the use of LNG in Montenegro, making a solid ground for strategic decisions beneficial to the country’s energy security and sustainable development.

Of note, in May 2023 Montenegro signed a cooperation memorandum on the planned LNG terminal and gas power plant with companies Enerflex Energy Systems and Wethington Energy Innovation, based in the United States. The European Union has also expressed its interest in the project.

Šahmanović: The study will provide data on the profitability of developing LNG in the country

Admir Šahmanović and Steve Winn (photo: Ministry of Energy and Mining of Montenegro)

Minister Admir Šahmanović said JERA is a renowned and credible global player in the areas of energy and LNG.

In his words, Japan is recognized for innovation and advanced technologies, and the cooperation will give Montenegro access to knowledge and experience necessary for the further development of its energy sector.

“The planned feasibility study will provide us with concrete data on potential locations and the profitability of developing liquefied natural gas in Montenegro, creating the basis for making strategic decisions in the interest of our country’s energy security and sustainable development,” Šahmanović underlined.

Winn: JERA is an ideal partner to support Montenegro in achieving its strategic energy goals

Steve Winn, JERA’s chief global strategist, said its extensive experience in LNG infrastructure and proven results in implementing complex international energy projects make it an ideal partner to support Montenegro in reaching its strategic energy objectives.

“We look forward to supporting Montenegro’s vision of strengthening energy security and decarbonization through practical and economically viable solutions,” he stressed.

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September 10, 2025
by in News

Turkey launches solar, wind power auctions with November deadlines

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey issued a public call for solar and wind power auctions for 2 GW in total. It will receive the applications on November 4 and November 18, respectively. One competitive bidding process is for a floating solar power project of 35 MW.

Following the successful auctions for renewable energy projects that were completed early this year, Turkey kicked off another round. It is also for 2 GW of overall connection capacity, in light of the country’s ambition to grow its combined solar and wind power capacity to 120 GW by 2035. The two technologies reached 37.1 GW together a month ago, out of 120.2 GW in total.

Auctions are held under the Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) state support mechanism. The scheme is better known by its Turkish acronym YEKA.

Ten solar power areas in eight provinces

The upcoming solar energy auctions, REZ SPP 2025 (YEKA GES 2025), are for 850 MW altogether. There are ten areas in eight provinces designated for bidding: Kahramanmaraş, Mardin and Van, with 40 MW each, Bolu and Elazığ (50 MW each), Erzurum 1-3 (100 MW, 150 MW and 85 MW), Eskişehir (260 MW) and Demirköprü in Manisa province, with 35 MW.

The upcoming solar power auctions will include Turkey’s first bidding for a floating photovoltaic plant

Notably, the last one is for a planned floating solar power plant on the reservoir of the Demirköprü hydropower plant. The facility on the Gediz river, east of Izmir, is owned by state-owned Electricity Generation Corp. (EÜAŞ). Turkey now hosts only two small floating photovoltaic units, and the auction will be the first of its kind.

Applications will be received on November 4, the ministry said and added it would subsequently publish a schedule for bidding.

Wind power capacity quota is 1.15 GW

Participants can apply on November 18 for the wind energy round of auctions, REZ WPP 2025 (YEKA RES 2025). It is for an overall 1.15 GW in six areas.

Investors will compete for 500 MW in Sivas province, a 140 MW project in Aydın and Denizli, 120 MW in Kütahya and three areas in Balıkesir – 160 MW, 120 MW and 110 MW.

Winners to submit guarantees of EUR 75,000 per MW for PV projects, EUR 100,000 per MW for wind

Potential bidders will pay a fee of EUR 1,550 for each auction they apply for. They must submit letters of guarantee lasting one year and worth EUR 15,000 per MW for photovoltaics and EUR 20,000 per MW for wind power. Winners will submit 10-year guarantees before signing their contracts: EUR 75,000 per MW and EUR 100,000 per MW, respectively.

The ceiling or starting price is EUR 55 per MWh and the floor prices are EUR 32.5 per MWh for solar power and EUR 35 per MWh for wind. If bids hit the floor, another auction will be held between the competitors, like in the previous round. It is for a so-called contribution share that they are ready to pay. The minimum is EUR 10,000 per MW of planned capacity and the highest bid wins.

Successful participants can sell electricity on the free market for five years in the case of solar power plants, while the period lasts six years for wind. After that, both categories enter a 20-year scheme with a guaranteed price.

Turkey tops 120 GW in total electricity capacity

At the end of July, electricity capacity in Turkey totaled 120.2 GW, the ministry revealed. Hydropower accounted for 26.9% or 32.3 GW, compared to 23.4 GW in photovoltaics (19.5%) and 13.7 GW of wind power, translating to 11.4%.

The share of biofuel and waste was 1.9%, with 2.34 GW, and geothermal power plants had 1.73 GW altogether, which is 1.4%. Gas power plants in Turkey had 24.7 GW in combined capacity (20.6%). The remainder is coal: 21.9 GW or 18.3%.

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September 2, 2025
by in News

Climate won’t suffer if Romanian coal power plants keep running – energy minister

The Romanian government is in talks on postponing the coal power plant closures envisaged under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), according to Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan. The current deadline for decommissioning these plants is the end of 2025, but Romania is hoping to push it back to 2030.

Ivan noted that Romania’s gas and coal power generation has dropped by 56% over the past decade, with around 7,000 MW of capacity closed and only 1,200 MW replaced.

“Now I am convinced that the world’s climate will not suffer so much if Romania continues to keep its coal-fired power plants in the Jiu Valley,” the minister said, according to Profit.ro.

Ivan: Keeping the Jiu Valley coal power plants operational will not hurt the global climate

He also stressed that Romania has pursued the most aggressive decarbonization policy in the European Union, choosing 2025 as a deadline to eliminate coal-fired electricity generation, compared to Poland or Germany, which intend to use coal until 2040–2050.

Ivan explained that wind and solar capacity in Romania has been growing, but that the country needs more battery storage to better utilize its output.

Romania needs more battery storage for the growing wind and solar capacities

Romania’s former energy minister, Sebastian Burduja, said earlier this year that the country intended to extend the operation of coal-fired power plants because there was no other option to ensure energy security and replace existing capacities.

He said in January that the operating period of coal-fired power plants was expected to be extended by three years.

According to earlier reports, Romania intends to stop coal mining by 2032 at the latest, while replacing conventional power plants in the meantime. Romania’s largest producer of coal-based electricity is state-owned power utility CE Oltenia, based in Târgu Jiu. It is also the country’s third-largest producer of electricity.

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