February 19, 2026

by AEA in News

Slovenia’s GEN-I Group Goes Global with Launch of North American Trading Hub

Slovenian energy leader GEN-I has officially expanded its footprint across the Atlantic, announcing the establishment of its first U.S.-based subsidiary: GEN-I Trading North America LLC.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas—a premier global energy hub—the move marks a transformative milestone for the group, elevating it from a regional European player to a global energy trader. With this expansion, GEN-I now maintains active operations in 27 countries across multiple continents.

Strategic Foundation and Market Entry

The launch follows a rigorous preparation period in 2025, during which the firm finalized its trading, regulatory, and human resources infrastructure. According to Igor Koprivnikar, Member of the Management Board, the Houston office is staffed by a specialized team that blends international trading experience with local market expertise.

GEN-I aims to leverage its proprietary digital solutions and advanced trading models to capture growth in the high-liquidity U.S. market. The company views the American energy landscape as a prime environment for value creation, particularly through its focus on innovation and data-driven trading strategies.

A Vision for “Small Country” Global Leadership

For Maks Helbl, President of the Management Board, the expansion is a validation of the company’s technical maturity. He characterized the move as a strategic effort to prove that firms originating from smaller nations can significantly influence the global energy future.

“The expansion into the USA is a milestone in GEN-I’s evolution into a global energy trader operating across multiple continents. It is a significant recognition of our expertise, reliability, and innovation.” — Maks Helbl

Momentum in Energy Storage

While expanding its geographic reach, GEN-I continues to deepen its technical capabilities in Europe. Over the last quarter, the firm has secured two landmark agreements in Bulgaria and Romania, both focused on the deployment of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). These projects underscore the company’s dual strategy: expanding its trading reach while investing in the physical infrastructure necessary for a flexible, renewable-led grid.

February 5, 2026

by AEA in News

GEN-I to optimize operation of R.Power’s battery system in Romania

GEN-I and R.Power have signed a long-term optimisation agreement for the Scornicesti battery energy storage system (BESS), one of Romania’s largest utility-scale storage projects currently under development. The project is planned with an installed capacity of 127 MW and an energy storage capacity of 254 MWh.

Under the deal, GEN-I will serve as the exclusive commercial optimiser and trading partner for the Scornicesti BESS, covering the period from the start of commercial operations through to the fifth anniversary of full revenue activation. GEN-I will oversee the asset’s commercial optimisation across wholesale electricity markets and ancillary service mechanisms, including market optimisation, revenue management and real-time dispatching, supported by 24/7 algorithmic trading operations.

Igor Koprivnikar, Ph.D., MBA, Member of the Management Board of GEN-I, and
Rafał Hajduk, Chief Commercial Officer at R.Power.

The partnership is structured around a long-term revenue-sharing model, aligning the interests of R.Power as the asset owner and GEN-I as the optimisation partner. Alongside performance-based revenue sharing, GEN-I will also provide a minimum revenue guarantee, intended to deliver more predictable cash flows for the project while supporting the long-term market value of the battery asset.

“This agreement represents another important step in the expansion of GEN-I’s battery storage optimisation portfolio in Central and South-Eastern Europe,” said Igor Koprivnikar, Ph.D., MBA, a member of GEN-I’s Management Board. He added that Romania is undergoing a power-market transformation, with growing renewable capacity and an increasing role for flexibility and storage solutions in maintaining system balance. According to Koprivnikar, GEN-I aims to translate market complexity into value for asset owners by combining regional market knowledge, real-time trading capabilities and long-term optimisation expertise.

The Scornicesti project is co-owned by R.Power and its joint venture partner Eiffel Investment Group, following Eiffel’s acquisition of a 49.9% equity stake in October 2025. The optimisation agreement marks a key milestone in establishing the project’s long-term commercial strategy ahead of market entry.

GEN-I said the agreement strengthens its position as an independent optimiser for utility-scale battery energy storage systems in Central and South-Eastern Europe. The company added that by supporting efficient market participation, system services provision and dynamic revenue optimisation, it helps investors and developers unlock the value of flexibility assets while contributing to power system stability and the integration of renewable energy.

About GEN-I

Founded in 2004, GEN-I is an energy market participant active across 27 markets in Europe. The company was recognised as Best Energy and Power Dealer in Europe in the Energy Risk Commodity Rankings 2025. GEN-I operates in wholesale energy trading and provides services linked to the green transition, including renewable portfolio management, ancillary services and battery energy storage optimisation. It said its optimisation models, 24/7 trading operations and integrated risk and operational processes support its goal of becoming a leading asset optimiser in Central and South-Eastern Europe.

About R.Power

R.Power is an independent power producer active in renewable energy across multiple European markets, with operations spanning origination and development through to commercialisation and long-term operation. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Warsaw, the company has 1.4 GW of projects operational or under construction. Its growth strategy includes a pipeline of grid-secured battery energy storage projects, both standalone and hybrid with solar PV. R.Power said it has more than 10 GW of grid-secured, utility-scale BESS, hybrid and renewable generation projects across markets including Poland, Romania, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

R.Power’s long-term equity investment partners include the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund (3SIIF), advised by Amber Infrastructure, while its debt finance partners have included BNP Paribas and ING.

October 14, 2025

by AEA in News

Rooftop solar on public buildings gains momentum in Slovenia

The trend of installing rooftop solar on public buildings to create energy communities is gaining momentum in Slovenia, with two more cities, Velenje and Kranj, joining the initiative. Similar projects were recently announced in Celje, Šoštanj, and Novo Mesto.

Velenje plans to install solar power plants on 13 public buildings in cooperation with ECE, a subsidiary of state power utility Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE). The total capacity of the proposed installations is about 1.97 MW, with an estimated annual electricity output of more than 2.1 GWh.

The project, valued at EUR 1.97 million, is expected to save the municipality over EUR 157,000 in electricity costs annually. Financing is provided through the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The municipality itself is contributing EUR 530,755.

This model involves the internal exchange of produced electricity, enabling municipalities to optimize consumption and reduce dependence on the market. Photovoltaic plants are installed on the roofs of structures such as sports facilities, administrative buildings, health centers, bus stations, schools, and kindergartens.

Energy communities help municipalities increase energy independence

In Kranj, 16 rooftop solar power plants, with a total capacity of 2 MW, will be installed on public buildings, in a EUR 1.5 million public-private partnership project carried out in cooperation with GEN-I. The municipality has obtained a state subsidy of EUR 700,000, while the remaining amount will be provided by the private partner.

The new solar power plants should be installed by next summer. They are expected to provide electricity for a total of 22 public buildings, cutting their electricity bills in half, according to a statement from the local authority. Kranj already has two rooftop solar plants on public buildings, installed in 2012 and 2013 respectively, it recalled.

In September, contracts were signed in Celje, Šoštanj, and Novo Mesto to install rooftop solar power plants on public facilities.

The project in Celje involves 11 installations with a total capacity of 1.4 MW, which is expected to bring about EUR 200,000 in annual savings. The contract in Šoštanj is for power plants at four public facilities, totaling 500 kW, with expected annual savings of EUR 70,000. In Novo Mesto, a private partner plans to build and operate ten new solar power plants on municipal land and structures.

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June 13, 2025

by AEA in News

Gas power plant Brestanica in Slovenia adds photovoltaic unit

A ground-mounted solar power plant of 466 kW started generating electricity on a regular basis at Slovenian state-owned gas power plant Termoelektrarna Brestanica (TEB).

GEN-I’s subsidiary GEN-I Sonce installed a photovoltaic system, as the contractor, at the gas power plant run by fellow GEN Group member Termoelektrarna Brestanica (TEB). The 466 kW ground-mounted solar power plant entered regular operation, Naš stik reported.

The new facility in Brestanica in the municipality of Krško near Slovenia’s border with Croatia consists of 810 modules. The project was backed by the government’s renewable energy grant program. It covered 20% of the cost, which amounted to just under EUR 600,000.

MFE TEB4, the new unit, entered test operation in February. It is the fourth PV system at the Brestanica gas power plant. Two are on roofs and one is a solar canopy on the parking lot. Commissioned in 2009 and 2010, they have 170 kW in combined peak capacity.

The estimated annual production of the fourth solar power system can meet the electricity needs of more than one hundred Slovenian households.

Almost a third of the project budget was invested in the installation of a transformer. It enables more renewable electricity capacity to be connected to the grid around TEB, the article reveals.

GEN Group’s state-owned parent company GEN energija operates the Krško nuclear power plant, also known by the acronym NEK and, in Slovenian, JEK.

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