September 9, 2025
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Airport in Cluj-Napoca secures grant for battery-backed solar park

International Airport Avram Iancu Cluj will cover more than half of the costs for a 5 MW solar power plant, with a battery energy storage system of 12 MW, from European funds. It expects the facility to cover more than 60% of its electricity needs.

Civilian airports throughout Southeastern Europe are building dozens of solar parks and rooftop photovoltaic systems to increase their energy autonomy and achieve cost savings. Some of the capacity is backed up by battery energy storage systems (BESS). International Airport Avram Iancu Cluj in Romania is set to join the group with a project worth EUR 10.7 million including value-added tax.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure declared it eligible for EUR 6 million grant from the European Union’s Modernisation Fund. The operator is controlled by the Cluj County Council.

Cluj International Airport to save EUR 1 million per year

International Airport Avram Iancu Cluj in Transylvania serves Cluj-Napoca, Romania’s second-largest city. With the green light for EU funding, it can proceed with the PV project of 5 MW with an energy storage unit of 12 MW in operating power. The airport expects the facility to cover more than 60% of its electricity consumption.

The airport in northwestern Romania serves Cluj-Napoca, the country’s second-largest city

The system would span eight hectares and include more than 7,500 solar panels. It is intended only for self-consumption. Cost savings amount to an estimated EUR 1 million per year. The initially planned capacity of the solar park was 2 MW.

“In the context of rising energy prices and budgetary constraints, energy independence is one of the major objectives we are focusing on. The investment in a photovoltaic park at Cluj Airport, from non-reimbursable funds, is a notable achievement and creates the premises for financial stability and achieving energy independence,” said Cluj County Council President Alin Tișe.

Gearing up for rising emissions costs

The airport’s General Manager David Ciceo stressed that heat pumps are also part of the plan to decarbonize and increase energy autonomy. President of the Board of Directors Viorel Federiga noted it is an important step toward meeting new international requirements.

For instance, the EU plans to extend the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to all flights from the European Economic Area (EEA). Currently it only covers the flights within the region and toward the United Kingdom and Switzerland. A scheme called EU ETS 2, to be launched in 2027, will include buildings and road transportation.

Within its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, Cluj International Airport added another electric bus to its vehicle fleet, to take passengers to and from aircraft. It can carry 110 people. The bus, which cost EUR 830,000, features a battery that allows for an autonomy of over 300 kilometers.

The airport projected the number of its passengers this year at 3.4 million.

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August 27, 2025
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Dozens of airports in Southeastern Europe invest in solar power, energy efficiency

Airports in Istanbul and Athens are becoming completely self-reliant with their large solar power projects. Many other airports in Southeastern Europe are investing in photovoltaics as well. Together with energy efficiency, electric mobility and waste and wastewater management projects, they aim to decarbonize their operations and reduce their environmental impact.

Surfaces around infrastructure such as railways and motorways are convenient for solar power as there are few alternatives for their use and the technology can directly provide them with electricity. Airports, too, have embraced the global trend of introducing photovoltaics and electrifying operations, and Southeastern Europe is no exception, with several notable investments.

The largest ones in Istanbul and Athens are about to switch 100% to solar power, which would make them some of the first in the world. In addition, airports in the region are increasing energy efficiency and rolling out electric vehicle fleets. They are introducing resource, waste and wastewater management systems to decarbonize their operations and reduce their environmental impact.

Airport operator in Albania expanding to solar power market

In other recent news, the operator of Kukës International Airport Zayed in Albania’s northeast is in the process of obtaining a license to generate and trade electricity. Namely, the company, Global Technical Mechanics, received a concession five months ago in consortium with local construction firm Bami to build and operate a 12 MW solar power plant.

The location at the village of Shtiqen is in the municipality of Kukës. The airport, built with investments by Emaar Properties from the United Arab Emirates, was inaugurated in 2021. However, it ceased operations in the meantime as Wizz Air withdrew from the facility.

The entire Vlora International Airport, which is under construction, will be covered with solar panels, Albanian officials said earlier. The PV project is for 5.2 MW. A consortium led by Swiss-based Mabco Constructions is building and financing the construction. The firm is part of Mabetex Group, controlled by Behgjet Pacolli, Kosovar businessman and former president, deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

Zagreb Airport starts with small PV unit

Zagreb Airport, which installed a 250 kW photovoltaic unit this year, said it plans to expand it soon. In addition, it switched to 100% renewable energy supply.

Like other airports in the region, the main one in Croatia replaced conventional, halogen lighting with LED. The operator has committed to cutting its emissions in accordance with the recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Zagreb Airport is renovating its buildings and increasingly using solar energy for heating water. Interestingly, it plans to switch from diesel-fueled generators to hydrogen-ready systems.

Athens to integrate strong battery with its arrays

Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos commissioned an 8.05 MW solar park in 2011, followed by another one in 2023, with 15.8 MW in peak capacity.

This year two more units with a combined peak capacity of 35.5 MW are coming online, together with a battery energy storage system (BESS) of 82 MWh.

The operator of Turkey’s largest airport is completing a photovoltaic park of nearly 200 MW and aiming to cover almost all its energy needs from renewable sources by the end of the decade

IGA Istanbul Airport reported that its greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 were 10.5% lower than its goal. Moreover, its operator increased its 2030 renewable energy target from 50% to 90%.

Namely, it expects its Eskişehir solar farm of a whopping 199.3 MW to begin operations before the end of the year. The location spans 300 hectares and the investment amounts to EUR 212 million. The PV park will generate an estimated 340 GWh per year.

Dalaman Airport hosts world’s largest rooftop solar power plant among airport terminals

Several other airports in Turkey are also decarbonizing their electricity systems. TAV Airports Holding (TAV Havalimanları Holding), part of Groupe ADP, completed a solar power plant 6.7 MW in peak capacity at its Milas-Bodrum Airport in the country’s southwest. Within the same project for setting up PV systems at parking areas, the Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is getting a 5.9 MW unit.

The Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is getting a 5.9 MW solar power system at parking areas

Dalaman Airport, near Bodrum, operates a solar power plant of 8.3 MW in peak capacity. It is the world’s largest on the roof of an airport terminal building.

The facility now covers more than 55% of its consumption from solar energy. The investment was worth EUR 5.4 million. The operator, YDA Airport Investment and Management, has vowed to reach 100% in phase two. The airport has completely switched to electric vehicles.

In 2023, airports Milas-Bodrum, Gaziantep, Erzurum and Ordu-Giresun all commissioned smaller PV systems.

Romanian operators leaning on EU funds

Iași International Airport is about to expand its 1 MW solar power plant, installed in 2023. It was the first in Romania in the sector. The management intends to add 5 MW and a 2 MW energy storage unit.

The investment will reportedly be supported with a grant from the European Union’s Modernisation Fund. The hybrid power plant is supposed to cover a fifth of the electricity consumption of the facility in Romania’s far northeast.

Maramureş International Airport (AIM) is also seeking funding, for a system of 2.6 MW in peak capacity on parking canopies. It would include battery storage.

The PV unit would feature 25 inverters of 100 kW each. The project, worth EUR 12.1 million, should be complete by the end of next year, the management said. The facility is in Romania’s northwest, near the border with Ukraine and Hungary.

Cluj International Airport Avram Iancu said in December that it would install a PV system with batteries. It claimed it would make it energy independent in 2026. According to the facility’s website, the solar power project is for 2 MW.

Bacau International Airport George Enescu is another one that applied for funds. The management envisages a 1.25 MW solar power unit and a BESS of 2.1 MWh in capacity, to fully cover electricity consumption.

Sibiu International Airport is developing a project for a ground-mounted unit of 1.7 MW in peak capacity. The site is two kilometers from the terminal.

The management is expecting to cover the costs mainly with a grant via the Modernisation Fund. It said the PV park would be completed within a year and a half and suggested that it would introduce electric cars and buses and charging stations.

Notably, National Company Bucharest Airports (CNAB) has a geotermal energy project.

Hermes Airports equipped its two facilities with PV systems in 2023

Hermes Airports commissioned two solar power plants in Cyprus two years ago. The unit at Larnaka International Airport has 3.5 MW in peak capacity and the one at Pafos International Airport has 1.1 MW. They cover 25% and 30%, respectively, of the facilities’ electricity needs.

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport in Serbia commissioned a PV system of 1 MW in peak capacity in 2022. The facility’s concessionaire, Vinci Airports, has also set up solar-powered LED lighting.

International airports in Sarajevo and Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina unveiled plans for PV systems a few years ago.

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August 27, 2025
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Agios Efstratios becomes Greece’s first energy-autonomous island

A hybrid energy project transforming Agios Efstratios into the first energy-autonomous island in Greece is in trial operation. The system consists of a wind turbine, solar power plant, batteries, electric boilers and a district heating network.

It is a benchmark for the non-interconnected islands that won’t be connected to the mainland grid with undersea power cables.

Agios Efstratios is no longer renowned only for its history and natural beauty. It is an example of energy autonomy and sustainability. The island, also known as Ai Stratis, became the first non-interconnected Greek island with a 100% electricity supply from renewables. And more.

A pioneering energy complex is in trial operation. Agios Efstratios, which has only some 250 permanent residents, is in a group of small islands undergoing transformation through projects launched at the national level and benefiting from European Union funding.

Terna Energy completed hybrid energy system in Agios Efstratios

The Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES or KAPE), an independent public entity, is responsible for the endeavor, on behalf of the Municipality of Agios Efstratios. Terna Energy, owned by Masdar, is the contractor for the works in the small North Aegean island.

The new hybrid energy system includes a 900 kW Enercon E44 wind turbine and a solar power unit of 225 kW. Their combined annual output is estimated at above 3 GWh.

Excess electricity is stored. One unit is a Tesla Megapack battery energy storage system (BESS) of 1.25 MW in operating power and a two-hour duration. It means the capacity is 2.5 MWh. There is also an electric boiler facility of 1 MW with hot water storage tanks that can hold 500 cubic meters of water at 120 degrees Celsius. It corresponds to 25 MWh.

The district heating network in Agios Efstratios is four kilometers long. It will be tested in the winter.

An oil-fired generator operated by state-controlled Public Power Corp. (PPC) remains as backup. It can work alongside the hybrid power plant.

Greece is connecting many islands to mainland power grid

The solutions from Agios Efstratios can be applied in other islands or in microgrids, CRES noted and said residents are getting cheaper energy.

The government launched its Islands Decarbonization Fund last year, with financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Together they aim to provide at least EUR 1.6 billion, and mobilize total investments of EUR 3 billion to EUR 5 billion.

In the hot summer months, there are many non-interconnected islands that can’t meet their power demand, especially because of the tourist season. Some are also struggling with water supply, prompting the need for desalination, which requires electricity. They rely on fuel oil generators.

The country’s Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO or, in Greek, Admie) is investing in major interconnection projects. A link to the mainland grid has improved the living conditions in the Cyclades islands of Syros, Paros and Mykonos. Together with a project for the western part of the archipelago, the transmission system operator is planning subsea cables to the Dodecanese and the Northeast Aegean.

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August 21, 2025
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Prosumers in Romania are neck and neck with commercial PV plants in capacity

The latest data showed that prosumers in Romania don’t have a much larger total capacity anymore than commercial solar power plants, a segment accelerating in expansion. The share of units for self-consumption that include energy storage reached 5.8% in the first half of the year, compared to 1.2% six months earlier.

Total number of prosumers in Romania increased by 8,950 in June, to 237,252, Profit.ro reported. The installed capacity, consisting overwhelmingly of photovoltaic panels, rose by 95 MW, to 2.82 GW, the media outlet added, citing data from the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE).

Total installed capacity of large, commercial solar parks is 2.77 GW, according to the article. Both segments are expanding strongly, but the latter has lately accelerated, with new utility-scale PV facilities coming online week after week. Of note, wind power and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are catching up.

On that note, 5.8% of prosumers also had batteries integrated with their self-consumption units on June 30. It compares to 1.2% at the end of last year.

Prosumers have led the energy transition for the past two years. Their overall capacity surpassed 2 GW just a year ago, translating to 37% growth in ten months.

Output in the segment amounted to 434 GWh in the first half of the year, where net domestic consumption declined 1% and net energy production surged 10%. Namely, as the duration of the daily solar radiation interval rose, prosumers in Romania drew less power from the grid and consumed more of what they generated themselves.

At the end of the first half of 2025, 210,714 households were prosumers, versus 26,538 legal entities. They had 1.34 GW and 1.48 GW installed, respectively.

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August 20, 2025
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University in Antalya signs deal for 50.4 MW solar power plant

Akdeniz University in Antalya established a partnership with Kopuz Group, which will build and operate a solar power plant of 50.4 MW in peak capacity. The company is completely covering the cost for the facility, which they expect to meet the university’s entire electricity needs.

Municipal authorities in Turkey are emerging as a pillar of the country’s energy transition. They are not only covering public buildings with solar panels, but also investing in larger ground-mounted photovoltaic systems. The trend has also spread to sports venues, particularly football stadiums, alongside educational institutions, infrastructure and transportation including railways, and a range of other social, industrial and commercial activities. Akdeniz University in Antalya particularly stands out with its new deal.

Rector Özlenen Özkan said the aim of the project for a solar power plant of 50.4 MW is to meet the entire electricity demand at the complex home to some 100,000 people. Antalya, located on the Mediterranean coast, was one of the first cities in Turkey that introduced solar power for their own needs.

Akdeniz University to offtake 24% of PV plant’s output

A partnership was launched with Kopuz Group and Kopuz Energy, selected through a tender. The company will build the facility in Yeşiloba in the Korkuteli district. The cooperation works under a build-operate-transfer model, for 25 years.

The private partner bears all the costs of construction and commissioning, estimated at EUR 52.6 million. The company has two years to complete the PV plant, by far the biggest among all universities in Turkey. It is also the largest public-private partnership involving a university, in the solar power segment, Rector Özkan stressed.

The solar power plant will save EUR 2.3 million in electricity costs

In her words, the facility will generate 100 GWh per year, of which Akdeniz University would offtake 24%. The deal will lower its electricity costs by 31%, Özkan added and pointed out that it translates to EUR 2.3 million. The electricity bill of the university hospital in July amounted to almost EUR 650,000, she revealed.

The site for the PV plant is in a mountainous area and on non-agricultural land, Özkan pointed out.

Antalya is in Turkey’s top league in energy transition

As for the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, it has almost 15 MW in peak capacity in 22 PV units in operation or under construction. They include a 5 MW ground-mounted solar farm.

The facilities cover more than half of the electricity needs of the local authority. Notably, it uses solar power to assist farmers, produce drinking water and treat wastewater.

According to the city government, Antalya is the first in Turkey to generate and store its own electricity. Moreover, it produces energy from waste and biomass.

A major solar cell factory located just outside the city is undergoing expansion and the complex will also make PV panels. Turkey hosts more than 23 GW of solar power capacity.

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August 20, 2025
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CWP Europe invests in rooftop solar plant for Henkel Serbia

In partnership with Resalta, CWP Europe led the investment in a rooftop photovoltaic system of 6 MW in peak capacity in Kruševac in Serbia. They completed the project under an innovative ESCO model, contributing to the decarbonization efforts of the manufacturer of detergents and other chemical products.

CWP Europe has successfully completed and commissioned a rooftop solar power plant for Henkel Serbia’s facility in Kruševac. The facility has 6 MW in peak capacity. Developed in partnership with Resalta and financed by UniCreditBank, the project was realized under an innovative ESCO (energy services company) model, with CWP Europe as the key investor.

Now fully operational, the photovoltaic plant is producing an estimated 6,278 MWh of green electricity annually, meeting 21% of the facility’s total energy consumption. The solar power plant will ensure optimal performance for the next 15 years.

The new PV system’s operations prevent an equivalent of 5,857 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, according to the update.

Special investment in distributed generation segment

While CWP Europe’s core focus remains on large-scale renewable energy assets across the region, this rooftop project represents a targeted engagement in the distributed generation space – undertaken to support a leading industrial partner in advancing its decarbonization and sustainability objectives.

With a proven track record in developing impactful renewable energy projects, the company is proud to have brought its expertise and investment capacity to a project that sets a new benchmark for industrial decarbonization in Serbia, the statement reads.

CWP Europe has more than 10 GW in its project pipeline

CWP Europe is a leading renewable energy project development company in Southeast Europe. Over the past 17 years, CWP has invested in sustainable development and the energy transition, successfully developing the largest wind farms in the region including the largest wind farm in Europe – the 600 MW Fântânele-Cogealac project in Romania.

It is currently developing over 10 GW of renewable energy project capacity. CWP Europe is a joint venture between CWP Global, a leading global renewable energy company, and Mercuria Energy Trading, one of the world’s largest independent energy traders, with over USD 140 billion in revenue.

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August 19, 2025
by in News

CWP Europe completes rooftop PV plant for Henkel Serbia

In partnership with Resalta, CWP Europe led the investment in a rooftop photovoltaic system of 6 MW in peak capacity in Kruševac in Serbia. They completed the project under an innovative ESCO model, contributing to the decarbonization efforts of the manufacturer of detergents and other chemical products.

CWP Europe has successfully completed and commissioned a rooftop solar power plant for Henkel Serbia’s facility in Kruševac. The facility has 6 MW in peak capacity. Developed in partnership with Resalta and financed by UniCreditBank, the project was realized under an innovative ESCO (energy services company) model, with CWP Europe as the key investor.

Now fully operational, the photovoltaic plant is producing an estimated 6,278 MWh of green electricity annually, meeting 21% of the facility’s total energy consumption. The solar power plant will ensure optimal performance for the next 15 years.

The new PV system’s operations prevent an equivalent of 5,857 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, according to the update.

Special investment in distributed generation segment

While CWP Europe’s core focus remains on large-scale renewable energy assets across the region, this rooftop project represents a targeted engagement in the distributed generation space – undertaken to support a leading industrial partner in advancing its decarbonization and sustainability objectives.

With a proven track record in developing impactful renewable energy projects, the company is proud to have brought its expertise and investment capacity to a project that sets a new benchmark for industrial decarbonization in Serbia, the statement reads.

CWP Europe has more than 10 GW in its project pipeline

CWP Europe is a leading renewable energy project development company in Southeast Europe. Over the past 17 years, CWP has invested in sustainable development and the energy transition, successfully developing the largest wind farms in the region including the largest wind farm in Europe – the 600 MW Fântânele-Cogealac project in Romania.

It is currently developing over 10 GW of renewable energy project capacity. CWP Europe is a joint venture between CWP Global, a leading global renewable energy company, and Mercuria Energy Trading, one of the world’s largest independent energy traders, with over USD 140 billion in revenue.

[wpcc-iframe title=”CWP x Henkel Serbia – 6 MWp Rooftop Solar Plant Cutting 6,000 Tons CO₂ Annually” width=”500″ height=”281″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/5nY4-zq5ckc?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen=””]

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August 19, 2025
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Battery storage investors in Romania rapidly expanding project pipeline

In an accelerating investment wave, companies in Romania are combining BESS with solar power, hydropower and wind power, or building standalone energy storage facilities. The group includes R.Power, Hidroelectrica, Engie and more big names.

Recent updates about investments in battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Romania indicate the technology is becoming another pillar of the country’s energy transition alongside wind power. For several years now, photovoltaics, and prosumers in particular – including municipal authorities, have dominated the scene. Geothermal energy is another emerging segment.

The government has provided incentives both for households and utility-scale battery storage. Companies are combining batteries with solar and wind power as well as hydropower capacity.

Investing in BESS colocated with renewable electricity plants or as standalone facilities in Southeastern Europe enables income from high spreads between wholesale power prices in daily trading. It is especially significant given the increase in the occurrence of zero and negative prices.

Notably, neighboring Bulgaria has earmarked massive funds for support to BESS investments while also focusing on pumped storage hydropower projects. Greece also held several rounds of auctions for battery storage.

R.Power to start building 127 MW standalone battery

R.Power is investing in BESS in Romania, which is one of its strategic markets, together with Poland, where it is headquartered, and Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal. Battery storage makes up 17.5 GW or more than half of its total development pipeline in Europe.

The company said it would hybridize its existing and future PV assets and scale the integrated capacity to several gigawatts in the coming years. It has over 1.2 GW of projects for standalone BESS in Romania. “And that’s just the beginning,” R.Power said.

It obtained EUR 15 million in funding for a future 127 MW facility. It is about to start building the BESS in Scornicești in Olt county, west of Bucharest. R.Power is planning to complete it in a year. The battery energy storage system would have a duration of two hours, translating to 254 MWh in capacity. The project received funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP or, in Romanian, PNRR).

Still, in the company’s view, further legislative changes are needed to fully harness the potential of the technology.

Hidroelectrica to add large battery to Iron Gate 2 hydroelectric plant

State-owned Hidroelectrica, the largest electricity producer in Romania, wants to install a battery storage system at Iron Gate 2 (Porțile de Fier 2) on the Danube. Located on the border with Serbia, it is the second-largest hydroelectric plant in the country, at 252 MW in nominal capacity. The complex, which the two countries share, is known as Đerdap in Serbian.

The BESS would have 64 MW in nominal power and a four-hour duration (256 MWh), Profit.ro reported. Hidroelectrica plans to use it for providing balancing services to the national electricity system (SEN) and adjust the time intervals of its hydropower production.

The contract for the installation of the facility is estimated at EUR 61.2 million plus value-added tax, according to the article. It would be integrated with the hydroelectric plant. The company is receiving bids from potential contractors by August 28.

French Engie has BESS projects for its existing PV plant, wind park

France-based Engie’s subsidiary in Romania intends to install a BESS at its newest solar power plant, of 37.2 MW in peak capacity, in Ariceștii Rahtivani. It commissioned the PV facility in June. The location is north of Bucharest, in Prahova county.

The battery energy storage system project is for 20 MW in operating power and 80 MWh. It would consist of 16 containers, 192 inverters and four transformer units.

The wind park in Băleni will reportedly add a small BESS facility

Engie Romania is working on another investment, through its Alizeu Eolian project firm. It plans to add batteries to a 50 MW wind park in Băleni, Galați county, which was built in 2013.

The company obtained the building permit last year. It also got clearance two months ago for connecting the BESS with a 110/20 kV transformer station via an underground line. Economica.net learned that the battery storage facility would have 5 MW and a two-hour duration, costing the firm EUR 2 million.

Engie’s project was included in the reserve list last September after a public call for support to battery storage. The Ministry of Energy selected 13 applications for grants from NRRP. Another 25 passed, but remained below the line.

Government bolstering battery investments with grants

The state aid scheme was worth EUR 103.5 million, of which EUR 79.6 million came from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

Among the beneficiaries are Electrica, in which the government holds just under 50%. Renovatio Trading. OMV Petrom, Public Power Corp. (PPC) and Verbund have projects on the B list.

For its 65 MWh project in Toplița in Harghita county, in eastern Transylvania, Renovatio Trading is buying the equipment from Trina Storage. The firm is part of Trina Solar.

Visual Fan is winning major contracts for the procurement and installation of batteries

Allview Energy, part of Romanian company Visual Fan, is handling the alternating current (AC) side in Renovatio Trading’s investment.

In addition, Visual Fan became the contractor for a BESS within Eurowind Energy’s Teiuș solar park.

The Danish developer intends to deploy a 117 MWh energy storage unit with lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, within a year. It valued the project at over EUR 16.6 million. The companies said they would carry out the works in partnership with TQM Services and Voltlink. The investment includes the battery management system and liquid cooling.

In June, the ministry approved a EUR 3.4 million grant from the EU’s Modernisation Fund to Termoficare Oradea. It has a project for a 10 MW solar park with a 15 MWh storage unit, worth EUR 18.6 million altogether.

Austria’s Verbund conducting EUR 22.7 million project

Verbund has almost all the permits for a BESS project at its 226 MW wind farm in Casimcea in Tulcea county. The company headquartered in Austria said it has secured financing as well and that it is already contracting the equipment.

The wind farm was commissioned in 2012. The energy storage segment would have up to 50 MW and up to 100 MWh. It would be located at the Alpha Wind Nord section of the existing facility, of 81 MW.

Still, the basic variant’s size will be 48.3 MW, with 76 MWh in capacity, according to Profit.ro. There would be 34 containers at the site selected for the BESS.

The majority government-controlled utility values the investment at EUR 22.7 million, of which more than EUR 10.7 million is for the storage facility itself. The location spans five hectares.

After coming up short in the public call, Verbund submitted the project for a grant from the Modernisation Fund.

In mid-May, Romania hosted 240.7 MW of battery capability and a total capacity of 404.9 MWh.

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August 18, 2025
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North Macedonia’s draft law envisages renewable energy auctions for CfDs

North Macedonia drafted the Law on the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources to facilitate a decrease in fossil fuel consumption and a rise in the share of green energy. The legislation introduces market premiums under two-way contracts for difference (CfDs), which would be approved through renewable energy auctions. It also regulates net metering and net billing for prosumers and defines renewable energy communities.

The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Minerals of North Macedonia called on citizens, experts and stakeholders to submit opinions and proposals for the draft Law on the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources. It will regulate the segment separately for the first time, “following the example of a large number of countries in the region and the EU,” the statement adds.

The public debate lasts until August 30. According to the ministry, the most significant novelty is the two-way contract for difference (CfD). It is defined in Macedonian as contract for market settlement of the price difference. The bill envisages awarding such market premiums through renewable energy auctions.

It is a mechanism that guarantees financial stability for renewable energy producers and protects consumers from extreme price fluctuations, the ministry argued. The draft is fully aligned with the European Union’s energy legislation including the Renewable Energy Directive (RED3), the update adds.

Basis for renewables deployment in heating, cooling, transportation

The proposed measures aim to lower the use of fossil fuels and grow the share of renewables in gross energy consumption, the ministry added. They facilitate support for long-term investments and faster deployment of renewable energy in heating, cooling and transportation, it underscored.

Guarantees of origin of electricity are included in the bill, together with a framework for international cooperation and energy markets.

The draft establishes the basis for the establishment of renewable energy communities of citizens and companies and other legal entities such as local authorities. The scope also involves net metering and net billing for prosumers – “consumers-producers.”

Multiapartment structures can become prosumers with units up to 50 kW

While the ministry earlier said it would raise the upper capacity limit for prosumers in the segment of households to 10 kW, the ceiling in the draft law is 10.8 kW for individual homes and 50 kW for multiapartment structures. The draft also introduces the collective prosumer, a group of citizens and commercial entities residing in the same building or apartment complex.

Prosumers with units up to 16 kW would be in the net metering mechanism. Net billing is for 16 kW to 50 kW, and larger facilities are envisaged for a commercial supply scheme.

Notably, prosumers operating power plants of over 300 kW are obligated to cover the balancing expenses, the text reads.

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August 15, 2025
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Floating solar farm ready to be merged with North Sea offshore wind park

Dutch company Oceans of Energy has assembled its new floating photovoltaic plant in the Port of Amsterdam in just three days. The modular facility is about to be towed and integrated with the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm on the North Sea, creating a hybrid power plant.

The Nymphaea Aurora floating solar power platform comprises 1,400 photovoltaic panels on 196 floaters. It features reused metals at 70%, while the share of reused polymers is 80%. The name is inspired by a water lily and how it gently floats, while aurora is the Latin word for dawn.

SolarPower Europe promoted the project after the modular platform was assembled in the Port of Amsterdam in just three days. It is about to be towed to a spot 22 kilometers offshore IJmuiden on the North Sea. There it would be installed within the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm.

Using just 3% to 5% of the space between turbines for solar panels can boost energy output by over 20%, all while using the existing energy system infrastructure, the update adds.

Next step after Nymphaea Aurora is scaling up so units reach 10 MW, 100 MW, 1 GW

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oceans of Energy Allard van Hoeken claimed Nymphaea Aurora is the world’s first offshore solar farm to be installed within an operational offshore wind park.

However, China’s State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC) commissioned one such facility in 2022. It used Ocean Sun’s technology for the two solar power units offshore Haiyang, a city in Shandong province in eastern China. It connected them with an offshore wind turbine. Several other hybrid offshore wind and floating PV projects have been initiated over the last few years.

Van Hoeken: Everything you do at sea is very scalable

Combining the two renewable energy technologies brings variation into the generation profile, Van Hoeken noted.

“There is more solar energy in the summer and more wind energy in the winter. The next step is scaling up the farms from 1 MW to 10 MW, to 100 MW and to 1,000 MW. This is the size that offshore solar offers to the world, because everything you do at sea is very scalable,” the CEO stressed.

Hollandse Kust Noord is operated by CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco. The 759 MW facility consists of 69 wind turbines, while Nymphaea Aurora brings only 0.5 MW. It takes up one hectare and it will be moored at a location with water depth of 25 meters.

Oceans of Energy deployed three standalone offshore PV units so far

In 2019, Oceans of Energy installed the world’s first floating solar power plant at sea, North Sea 1. Initially located one kilometer from the shore, it had 8.5 kW in capacity. It was expanded to 50 kW the following year and moved to a spot 15 kilometers away, near The Hague. It is an area with high waves, of up to 13 meters.

The firm earlier said it would expand its other pilot facility, North Sea 2, to 1 MW. It is 12 kilometers from the shore. North Sea 3 was deployed last year for testing off the Belgian coast.

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