December 2, 2025
by in News

Germany gets applications for 661 GWh of BESS projects

Grid operators in Germany received requests for the connection of large battery energy storage systems with an operational power totaling 400 GW and capacity of 661 GWh overall. It is 174 times greater than the current capability of all the batteries in the country, and 206 times more than their capacity, respectively.

The Federal Network Agency, the national regulatory authority also known as Bundesnetzagentur or BNetzA, has for the first time published data on the applications for battery storage projects.

Germany has increased its total BESS capacity by 50% last year. The vast majority of the capacity is in households. In July, the category accounted for 11.5 GW out of 14.5 GW in overall operational power, the data showed.

Now BNetzA announced that in 2024, a total of 9,710 connection requests for BESS on the medium and higher voltage levels were submitted to the grid operators. They don’t include home storage systems.

Currently, 921 large-scale batteries are in operation in Germany

The applications have a combined planned operational power of approximately 400 GW and a storage capacity of around 661 GWh, according to the agency’s data.

Currently, 921 large-scale batteries are in operation. They have approximately 2.3 GW altogether and a storage capacity of about 3.2 GWh.

In 2024, grid operators issued approximately 3,800 connection commitments for applications submitted in 2024 and previous years, BNetzA underlined.

Germany is a hotspot for BESS optimization and offtake

The 3,800 applications are for a combined operational power of about 25 GW and a storage capacity of about 46 GWh, data showed.

The agency recalled that the connection commitments are an obligation only for the grid operator. It means not all applications have to be implemented, BNetzA pointed out.

Germany’s solar power plants have a total capacity of 112 GW.

The BESS dealmaking landscape in Europe has evolved dramatically over the past four to five years, according to Pexapark’s analysis. Germany and Netherlands have emerged as hotspots for optimization and offtake, after Great Britain’s convincing lead for several years.

In the first five months of 2025 alone, 11 BESS deals were announced in Germany, totaling 540 MWh.

Post Views:22
November 8, 2025
by in News

Three types of deals emerge in new PPA era – Pexapark

Hybrid power purchase agreements from co-located projects, battery offtake agreements, and stand-alone PPAs are beginning to dominate the renewable energy market, according to Luca Pedretti, Co-Founder & COO of Pexapark.

The power purchase agreement (PPA) market is going through a turbulent period. Two days ago, RE-Source Platform noted that the number of PPAs in Europe had decreased by 60% compared with the same period last year. The figure was consistent with Pexapark’s July report, which stated that the number fell 31% in the first six months of the year.

Over recent months, the analytics and advisory firm has spoken with a number of executives at independent power producers.

“Their message was consistent. The period dominated by straightforward, conventional power purchase agreements (PPAs) is transitioning into a new era,” Luca Pedretti wrote in a piece for Pexapark’s website.

While the initial phase centered on PPAs, the focus now is on more structured deals and the integration of new asset classes, such as battery energy storage systems (BESS), he noted.

Battery offtake agreements can take various forms

One of the models involves hybrid PPAs from co-located projects. Co-location is the deployment of multiple technologies at a single site. Most often, it is wind and solar, or solar with battery energy storage systems.

Previously, this kind of project included pricing based solely on energy delivered, but that has now changed.

Today, it is necessary to evaluate and price the marginal value added by co-location, the interactions between different resources, and the premium associated with reduced curtailment and improved grid capacity utilization, Pedretti wrote.

Battery offtake agreements include tolling contracts, merchant sharing agreements, and capacity-based deals. Valuation and pricing in these deals vary a lot from those used in pure energy agreements.

Stand-alone PPAs are still standing

The third model is the stand-alone PPA. These deals have managed to maintain their share of the market. However, there have been some changes in approach.

The number of “plain vanilla PPAs” has decreased, while transaction price ranges have expanded. In the new circumstances, understanding the impact of negative prices and curtailments on price and value has become crucial.

Additionally, in many markets, the balancing risk is now handled completely differently than it was just 12 months ago, according to Pedretti.

He stressed that the Pexapark Renewable Valuation Framework for PPAs continues to provide a solid foundation.

“However, the importance of the ‘middle part’– understanding risk and projecting future realized prices – has increased substantially,” he noted.

Post Views:43
July 22, 2025
by in News

Pexapark: PPA activity in Europe drops in first half of 2025

The number of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for renewables in Europe fell by 31% and the volume tumbled 26% in the first half of the year from the levels in the same period of 2024, Pexapark found. Germany and France registered sharp declines in the photovoltaics segment, but a surge in Italy and Spain has more than offset the drop.

The meteoric rise in deals for battery energy storage systems, BESS, is a clear sign of its maturity.

In its latest report, analytics and advisory firm Pexapark provided a detailed look into PPAs and contracts for battery energy storage systems in the first six months of 2025. It found that PPA activity shrank by more than a quarter in year-over-year terms, but not everywhere and not due to solar power.

Across 124 deals, 6.08 GW of renewable electricity capacity was contracted in the first half, which is 31% and 26% down, respectively, from the same period of 2024. Conversely, the average deal size advanced 5% to 48.2 MW.

Notably, the April-June period was much weaker than the first quarter of the year, with just 50 deals, but the volumes were almost evenly split.

The main technologies in the first half were solar power, 4.2 GW from 73 deals, onshore wind (1.4 GW and 32 PPAs), mixed technology (290 MW and nine deals) and offshore wind (134 MW and four deals). The result is proportionate to the picture from January through June 2024.

Despite concerns over saturation of demand for standalone solar, volumes have firmed. The 4.2 GW of solar capacity contracted under PPAs compares to 3.9 GW of the first half of last year. The deal count landed at 73, against 95, which is in line with the overall trend.

PPA activity in Germany plunged 84% in terms of volume

Solar offtake activity reveals a clear split in market momentum. It is slowing down in markets where cannibalization has worsened drastically and rapidly – such as Germany and France. In fact, Germany saw the largest decline in volumes – a remarkable 84% year-on-year decrease in terms of overall volumes, with 228 MW across eight deals in the last six months, versus 1.2 GW and 31 deals in last year’s equivalent.

There is stable or even upward appetite in markets which have had time to adjust to cannibalization and the lower valuation of solar production, or where cannibalization levels are still very low

Conversely, solar PPA activity in Italy and Spain spiked, more than making up for the said decline.

“These numbers support the hypothesis that there is stable, or even upward appetite in markets which have had time to adjust to cannibalization and the lower valuation of solar production – i.e., Spain, or cannibalization levels are still very low – such as Italy. Italy’s solar PPA volumes grew 184% year-on-year, with nearly an additional 700 MW procured compared to the same period last year. Corporate appetite in the country is growing, and so is deal size – with a 420 MW solar corporate deal announced in June comprising the country’s largest PPA ever recorded,” the analysis reads.

As for Southeastern Europe, OMV Petrom’s deal with Enery for their joint solar power project Gabare in Bulgaria was Europe’ third-largest PPA in June.

Flexibility monetization is opportunity for market players with right profile

In a market increasingly driven by flexibility monetization, today’s challenges – cannibalization, future capture dynamics and balancing risks – are becoming opportunities for market players with the right profile. And with corporate buyers more hesitant to pay premiums for solar, transactable prices are—perhaps for the first time in a while – closer to perceived fair value, according to the report’s authors.

Wholesale electricity prices in Sweden were negative for almost two fifths of the time in the first six months of 2025

Hourly periods with negative prices at wholesale electricity markets continued strong in the first half. Sweden maintained its top position by far, with most such events. There were 1,635 hours with negative prices from January until the end of June. It is a stunning 37.8% share of the entire period and already 63% of the tally from all last year.

The other jurisdictions that make up the top five in Europe: Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, remained the same since 2024.

On average, European countries have already reached around 67% of the number of hours counted in 2024 as a whole. Norway hit 90%, Denmark 87% and Spain climbed to 86%, suggesting that last year’s records would fall.

Top five European markets by number of negative price hours, 2024 vs. the first half of 2025

BESS deal volumes already three times higher than in all 2024

The maturity of the BESS industry is clearly reflected in the deal count and contracted volumes over the past 18 months, with the trend increasingly pronounced in 2025.

Battery storage capacity being contracted under optimization or fixed-revenue offtake contracts (so-called floors and tolls, respectively) amounted to a total of 4.6 GW in capability and 9.2 GWh in capacity across 36 deals. It is just over three times more than in entire 2024 in both benchmarks. The deal count was 44% up from all last year.

The lion’s share of the deal count concerns BESS assets with a two-hour duration

The rapid growth was driven by a wave of new agreements in the two most advanced markets – Great Britain and Germany – alongside first-ever BESS deals emerging in Belgium, Poland, Greece, and Bulgaria. The lion’s share of the deal count concerns BESS assets with a two-hour duration, which the ratio of operating power and capacity also indicates.

Pexapark provides of price data, market intelligence, and advisory services for renewable energy. It was one of the knowledge partners at this year’s edition of Belgrade Energy Forum, organized by Balkan Green Energy News.

Post Views:39
July 9, 2025
by in News

Germany, Netherlands emerging as BESS optimization, offtake deal hotspots

The BESS dealmaking landscape in Europe has evolved dramatically over the past four to five years, driven by diminishing battery pack costs and the emergence of stackable revenue streams in mature markets, Pexapark said in a new brief. Germany and Netherlands have emerged as hotspots for optimization and offtake, after Great Britain’s convincing lead for several years.

Navigating the fast-paced battery energy storage system (BESS) optimization market is a new challenge for the industry, given the growing number of players, the lack of standardization, and the speed of contractual innovation, Pexapark said in its BESS Brief. To support market participants, the firm has launched the BESS Deal Tracker, which captures the vast majority of publicly disclosed optimisation and offtake deals across European markets.

The first optimization agreements emerged five to six years ago in Great Britain – the maiden European country to develop an advanced utility-scale BESS market. Of note, the electricity systems of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are separate.

Spurred by multiple revenue stacking opportunities available to BESS – from the dynamic frequency response product suite to wholesale arbitrage, the balancing mechanism, imbalance, and inertia services – Great Britain has led the way in deal activity. As of May 26, it accounted for nearly 45% of contracted capability, with almost 2.7 GW signed and 35 out of 63 deals captured by the said Deal Tracker.

Austria, Denmark, Greece, Bulgaria join market with first deals

However, driven by strong fundamentals and a sheer need for flexibility, Germany is emerging as a dealmaking hotspot. In the first five months of 2025 alone, 11 BESS deals were announced in Germany, totaling 540 MWh.

“With ancillary services defying saturation predictions, and new revenue streams – such as inertia – coming up, we expect continued momentum in Europe’s largest and most liquid power market. That said, the German optimisation market is still at an early development stage. Lenders are not yet fully comfortable, and most deals have been merchant-based and short-term,” said the brief’s author and the organization’s Senior Analyst and BESS Lead Apostolis Valassas.

Beyond GB and Germany, the Netherlands stands out with four large-scale agreements announced in the past year. In another sign of the market’s move out of infancy, several markets – including Austria, Denmark, Greece and Bulgaria – recently recorded their first-ever BESS optimisation deals.

Evolving BESS duration, size

Most BESS offtake deals announced in 2020-2022 were predominantly for one-hour assets in Great Britain. At the time, frequency response – where shorter-duration batteries excel – dominated the revenue stack and shaped asset design.

A lot has changed since then. Rising wholesale market volatility driven by increasing renewable penetration, the decline in required capital expenditures (capex), and ongoing improvements in battery energy density have driven a transition toward longer-duration systems.

More megawatts were contracted in the first five months of this year than in 2024 in total

Indeed, the average battery duration in deals tracked by Pexapark has increased from just one hour in 2020 to 2.3 hours in 2025, signalling a broader strategic shift from solely focusing on ancillaries to trading across the whole stack.

Deal sizes are also growing exponentially, from an average 75 MW across 20 deals with disclosed operating power in 2024 to 138 MW across 24 deals in 2025, as of May. It is again a function of falling capex requirements, the strategies to deploy more megawatts to capture multi-market value, and growing lender appetite to finance larger-scale BESS assets, according to the report.

Pexapark, which provides of price data, market intelligence, and advisory services for renewable energy, was one of the knowledge partners at this year’s edition of Belgrade Energy Forum, organized by Balkan Green Energy News.

Post Views:21
May 26, 2025
by in News

BEF 2025: Corporates’ education, product diversification crucial to speed-up PPA uptake

Capacity building and education for corporates, together with product diversification and an upgrade of the regulatory framework, could clear the obstacles for power purchase agreements in the Western Balkans, which are lagging behind the other countries in Southeast Europe. In addition to their other benefits, such contracts could contribute to securing baseload energy from hybrid facilities, given that baseload is a key issue for the decarbonization of the region, according to the participants of a panel on power purchase agreements, held at Belgrade Energy Forum 2025 (BEF 2025).

BEF 2025 has gathered four hundred participants from more than 30 countries in the region, Europe, and beyond.

The panel PPAs as a key to renewable energy growth in SEE featured stakeholders from all segments of the PPA market: developers, corporates, utilities and consultants. The discussion comprised five segments – the global trends, main drivers, the region’s specifics, challenges and trends, and the implications of the model.

The panel’s moderator was Mislav Slade-Šilović, Energy, Utilities & Resources Consulting Leader for Southeast Europe and member of the core PPA team at the consultancy PwC.

Global trends: PPAs are hot, but the solar capture rate is becoming an issue

Mislav Slade-Šilović, Joffroy Beckers and Nikola Gazdov

According to Natalija Ljubić, Manager of PPA & BESS Transactions at Pexapark, PPAs are still hot in Europe. On a monthly basis, between 500 MW and 2,000 MW of new PPAs are signed (15 to 30 deals). She referred to long-term, fixed-price PPAs considered bankable and publicly announced. There is much more together with short-term PPAs, for two to three years.

There is an impression that everything comes down to corporate PPAs, but there are many utility PPAs that aren’t always made public, she added.

The majority are physical PPAs but Pexapark is registering more and more financial PPAs. In 2025, almost 20% of all the announced PPAs were financial, whereas a couple of years ago, they made up 5% to 10%. There are more pay-as-produced contracts than the monthly ones for baseload energy.

Mislav Slade-Šilović (PwC) added that 70% of PPAs in SEE are virtual or financial.

It’s quite challenging in the region to find a creditworthy counterparty on the consumer side

For developer Joffroy Beckers, Head of PPA at DRI, it’s quite challenging to find a creditworthy counterparty on the consumer side of the market in the region comprising Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. So when the firm wants to speed things up with selling its electricity, it goes to utilities or traders.

Negative prices are emerging in the region, with much more cannibalization for solar in the long term, he added.

According to Bulgaria’s Association for Production, Storage, and Trading of Electricity – APSTE, the situation in the region is different than five years ago. “There were zero PPAs in the region, but now they start to get common. Paradoxically, the conditions start getting much more and more complex,” chairman Nikola Gazdov said.

Mislav Slade-Šilović (PwC) pointed to the decline in the solar capture rate – the ratio of the price of solar power and wholesale price. It is spilling over to the PPA price and increasing its complexity, and solar PPAs are generally more complex than the ones for wind power, he added.

Main drivers: Different priorities ask for different PPA models

Natalija Ljubić, Ivana Đurović and Davor Pupovac

For Ivana Đurović, Category Manager Renewable Energy at Knauf Group, PPAs are a game changer in energy procurement because essentially it’s no longer just about buying energy or hedging. “Now corporate PPAs bring the long-term deal, so they even extend the tenure for those hedging, and they also allow us to achieve our sustainability targets,” she explained.

PPAs aren’t for companies with consumption below 30 GWh or 40 GWh per year, while branding and cost savings are often the reasons for companies to sign them.

Such factors determine the PPA product that the offtaker opts for, Mislav Slade-Šilović (PwC) stressed.

According to Nikola Gazdov (APSTE), in the region comprising Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece, PPAs are usually signed by corporates that have some ESG commitments or want to show their clients and customers that they are thinking green.

The key feature of a PPA is the partnership between two companies

As examples of the various kinds of deals, he mentioned a physical PPA with an electricity-intensive consumer, virtual PPA with a telecom and a PPA with a big international company producing tires, combining the two types.

As a developer, DRI is modifying its strategy toward a mixed portfolio. Instead offering a solar asset for a PPA, it adds wind power plants and combines different technologies into a single contract. “It allows us to capture a better price, and this is also usually more beneficial for the off-taker. The second thing is that we’re trying to keep this upside in our PPA by entering a floor price instead of a fixed price,” Joffroy Beckers (DRI) revealed.

For Mislav Slade-Šilović (PwC) the key characteristic of a PPA is the partnership between two companies. It needs to be balanced, to ensure that both parties can fulfill throughout the tenure. If one goes bankrupt, then it doesn’t make sense for both parties, he underlined.

The specifics in the region: Corporates need to learn, PPAs should be more diverse

Nikola Gazdov, Natalija Ljubić and Ivana Đurović

Serbia’s state-owned power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) has been signing a lot of PPAs. However, the difference from the conventional deals is that they are based on premiums. But according to Davor Pupovac, head of the company’s market analysis and risk management, it is interested in corporate PPAs that don’t include government support. There is not much interest among consumers for corporate PPAs with EPS, he revealed.

Mislav Slade-Šilović (PwC) said the role of EPS and big power utilities is very important in developing the PPA market. A dominant supplier in a market has a critical role, either as a sleever or as someone that will provide B2B products to off-takers and developers or producers for entering the market, he said.

Joffroy Beckers (DRI) agreed with him about the role of big utilities in facilitating PPAs and expressed the belief that in the near future, they would get a larger share as intermediaries.

Asked if corporate PPAs are coming anytime soon in Serbia, Davor Pupovac (EPS) said: “Not so soon.” However, he claimed EPS wouldn’t lose consumers regardless of the fact that it has no such product.

Corporates aren’t super ready for PPAs because they are seeking stability when it comes to the energy price

In Ivana Đurović’s (Knauf) view, there are several reasons for the slow uptake of corporate PPAs in the Western Balkans. Corporate buyers aren’t super ready for PPAs because they are seeking stability when it comes to the energy price, but the pay-as-produced PPA model is dominant in the market, which doesn’t ensure price stability. Monthly baseload deals would enable more price stability.

A bigger offtake through PPAs requires corporates to build their capacity for closing such deals and for the offer to be more diverse, she stressed.

Natalija Ljubić (Pexapark) agreed with her and suggested that companies need to understand more about the risks and accounting. Also, not many corporates are willing to enter five- to ten-year agreements as they don’t know their demand or costs that far ahead, Ljubić underlined.

Challenges, risks: Management boards are delving into energy-related topics in detail

Ivana Đurović and Davor Pupovac

Creditworthiness is one of the key challenges, Joffroy Beckers (DRI) said. As he sees it, credit insurance could be key, providing a kind of a state guarantee. Nikola Gazdov (APSTE) again stressed education. He also recalled that all European countries needed time to get along with PPAs.

“But coming to credit risk, I think that now we also see the European Commission taking note of the situation,” Gazdov noted.

As for education, Mislav Slade-Šilović (PwC) said it requires one to two years. Management boards of companies from different industries on the offtake side are forced to delve into energy-related topics in detail, he noted.

There are practically no obstacles for PPAs in Serbia

Slade-Šilović asked EPS’s representative whether the utility is prepared to offer B2B products, arguing that they go hand-in-hand with PPA market development.

Davor Pupovac (EPS) responded that there are practically no obstacles to PPAs in Serbia. Namely, there is an electricity exchange, EPS is willing to sign contracts with developers for sleeving or balancing, the guarantees of origin (GO) system is in place, and EPS is active on power exchanges in the region as a producer and supplier.

“EPS could also offer a route to market to the off-taker. However, currently, it cannot offer access to the spot or forward market,” he explained.

Coming from a corporate electricity consumer, Ivana Đurović (Knauf) was curious what EPS could offer to a perfect corporate off-taker asking for a physical PPA. Pupovac answered that currently it would be a pay-as-produced deal.

What does the implementation bring us: hybrid combinations open the room for innovative deals

Joffroy Beckers, Nikola Gazdov and Natalija Ljubić

Mislav-Slade Šilović (PwC) summarized the landscape. “If you look at the broader EU situation and challenges, especially with solar capture rates, negative prices, we are now already discussing technology advanced structures including batteries and other hybrid solutions on the PPA side,” he underlined.

Natalija Ljubić (Pexapark) pointed out that last month in Germany the solar capture rate was just 40%, calling it almost unbearable for photovoltaic projects. All developers or energy producers, especially in the solar power sphere, are seriously considering adding batteries, while projects for standalone battery storage facilities are appearing, in her words.

She and Nikola Gazdov (APSTE) agreed that the outcome is a lot of interesting innovative structures, room for different solutions.

BESS with solar reduces cannibalization and increases capture rates

Ljubić said it is a challenge to maximize revenues from a battery system and make it bankable. Gazdov pointed to the dilemmas of a single company owning different assets versus a big utility combining and aggregating everything, and whether the producers or optimizers manage the revenue streams.

When it comes to standalone storage units, he sees a perspective only in arbitrage and, perhaps, system services further down the road.

Joffroy Beckers (DRI) explained the main purpose of a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Romania, from the point of view of a developer and power producer. A BESS combined with solar power reduces cannibalization and increases capture rate, whereas wind lowers the balancing cost, he stressed.

“If you co-locate a battery next to solar, you will be in a position to negotiate a higher price on the off-take side,” he pointed out.

A combination of wind, solar and batteries is equivalent to a new power plant

In the future, he anticipates more PPAs with a pay-as-nominated structure rather than pay as produced, arguing that it enables more flexibility for monetizing batteries on different markets.

“With those combinations of wind, solar, and battery, basically you have a new power plant, baseload structure,” Mislav Slade-Šilović (PwC) stated.

That way PPAs fit into the broader discussion on the energy transition and decarbonization. EPS is decarbonizing its production through its role as a renewable energy offtaker.

“Hybrid combinations are partly addressing the baseload needs. So, many different technologies, including storage, can provide a part of the answer this region heavily needs, and this is the baseload substitution problem,” Slade-Šilović concluded.

Post Views:55
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