December 8, 2025
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Greenvolt orders GE Vernova wind turbines for its 250 MW project in Romania

GE Vernova said it would start the delivery in 2026 of 42 of its 6.1 MW-158m wind turbines to Greenvolt for the Gurbănești project near Bucharest. Together with the recent order for the nearby Ialomiţa wind farm, the Portugal-based firm secured half a gigawatt in capacity.

Greenvolt is nearing the launch of construction of two wind farms in Romania. Soon after acknowledging an order for 42 of its 6.1 MW-158m wind turbines, GE Vernova said it would deliver another identical batch for the Gurbănești project.

The site is just east from Bucharest, in Călărași county. Domestic company Renovatio developed the project through special purpose vehicle Gura Ialomiței Solar, backed by Portuguese investment fund RNVQ FCR.

Greenvolt is a subsidiary of KKR. In Southeastern Europe, it is also active in Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria and Serbia.

As for the wind turbine model, its nameplate capacity is 4.8 MW to 6.1 MW, and the 158 meters is the rotor diameter.

The previous order, in October, was for Greenvolt’s Ialomița Nord project. It received final authorization in June from the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) of Romania for 246.4 MW. Notably, GE Vernova said the capacity of its turbines would be 252 MW.

Located in neighboring Ialomița county, the wind turbines would be in three groups in the communities of Țăndărei, Gheorghe Lazăr, Grivița and Ograda. The project firm is called Țăndărei Solar.

Both wind farms will benefit from state support for 125 MW each. The developers won contracts for difference at Romania’s first wind power auction, a year ago. Gurbănești has a contract for EUR 64.98 per MWh, compared to Ialomița Nord’s EUR 67.89 per MWh.

GE Vernova has agreed to supply and install all units and commission both wind parks. It said they would amount to 500 MW in total. Deliveries are set to begin next year, for completion in 2027.

The wind turbine manufacturer said the annual output would be sufficient for more than 110,000 Romanian households.

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December 3, 2025
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Turkey earns EUR 84.8 million upfront from solar power auction

Investors in photovoltaic projects were mostly willing to pay large sums at Turkey’s latest YEKA auction to secure a minimum guaranteed price for five years, followed by 20-year power purchase agreements. The government earned EUR 84.8 million overall from the secondary bidding for 650 MW, split into six areas. One zone is for a floating solar power plant.

According to Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, domestic electricity demand is on a trajectory to triple to 1.05 PWh in the next 30 years. It follows an almost threefold jump of the last two decades, while natural gas is rising even faster, he pointed out.

The minister has urged investors to keep up the momentum, noting that the national goal for 2035 for solar and wind power is 120 GW in total.

One of the pillars of the government’s measures to incentivize such endeavors are renewable energy auctions. Notably, the obligatory domestic content rates are high, to boost manufacturing in the sector.

The latest solar power auction under the Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) state support mechanism even brought substantial earnings for Turkey, for the second time. The bidding was initiated at the ceiling price, EUR 55 per MWh, and when the floor level was reached at EUR 32.5 per MWh, the remaining competitors were switched to another auction.

They offered so-called contribution shares, starting at a stunning 10,000 per MW of planned connection capacity. The quota for the REZ SPP 2025 (YEKA GES 2025) round was 650 MW, split into eight zones. Two zones were taken off the table after the call, due to delays in permitting.

Highest fee was EUR 285,000 per MW

In total, Turkey cashed in EUR 84.8 million or EUR 130,400 per MW of connection capacity, excluding value-added tax.

The Eskişehir zone, 260 MW, went for EUR 105,000 per MW to Efor Holding. The company was successful at the previous wind power auction as well, early this year.

Stone Enerji won the Erzurum 1 segment, of 100 MW, by pledging EUR 100,000 per MW. Sertaş Turizm took Erzurum 3, at 85 MW, for EUR 120,000 per MW.

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources included a floating solar power plant project for the first time

The 50 MW Bolu zone went to Ecogreen Enerji. The company is paying 44,000 per MW, the least of all winners.

Kahramanmaraş, of 40 MW, was awarded to Güçlü GES Enerji. It pledged EUR 285,000 per MW, which was the highest contribution fee. Aydede Enerji has obtained the Mardin zone for EUR 208,000 per MW while Zincir GES Enerji managed to win the Van solar power project for EUR 187,000 per MW. Both are for 40 MW.

The auction also featured the first zone for a floating solar power plant. Demirköprü Yüzer GES in Manisa province, for 35 MW, was taken by a firm with the same name. It is paying EUR 225,000 per MW, the ministry has revealed.

Solar power auction facilitates USD 400 million in investments

There were 77 applications altogether, from 38 companies.

The winners will be able to sell electricity on the free market for five years. However, they are guaranteed at least their contracted price, which in all cases is the floor price – EUR 32.5 per MWh. The second period, 20 years, is with a power purchase agreement.

Bayraktar estimated that the solar power auction facilitated investments worth a combined USD 400 million. The projected annual output is equivalent to the electricity needs of half a million households.

The minister pointed out that 8 GW of solar and wind power would come online this year in total. The combined capacity on the grid from the two technologies amounts to some 39 GW out of 121 GW overall.

Also of note, the Energy Storage Industries Association (EDEDER) has forecasted that 1.5 GWh of storage capacity would be commissioned next year in Turkey.

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December 2, 2025
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Greece to support 130 MW in agrivoltaics through tariffs

Greece aims to host a new batch of agrivoltaics, based on a bill of law that the Ministry of Environment and Energy submitted to Parliament. It includes subsidies.

Several proposed provisions concern carbon capture and storage (CCS), energy storage and renewable energy. Among them, a goal is set for the installation of 130 MW of agrivoltaics across the country.

Specifically, up to 10 MW would be allowed in each periphery (region), with individual projects at a maximum of 200 kW. The agrisosolar panels must be mounted at over 2.1 meters above the ground, in order to allow agricultural production below them. Alternatively, they can be installed on top of greenhouses.

Another interesting novelty is that agrivoltaics could be combined with battery storage unit. They would need to provide at least one hour of storage and wouldn’t be allowed to store energy from the grid, but only from the solar plant.

When it comes to the financial aspect, the agrivoltaic facilities would benefit from a EUR 65 per MWh tariff. It remains to be seen whether the sum is sufficient for support, as costs of photovoltaics raised at such height are higher than for traditional systems. The Panhellenic Association of Agricultural Photovolatics (PSAF) has warned that if the tariff is deemed too small, farmers will not invest in the technology and the entire program will be fruitless.

Applications to commence in February 2026

Eligible applicants are professional farmers or companies that have signed agreements with owners of cultivated fields and greenhouses. Each may install up to two agrivoltaic units.

Investors would be able to submit their applications for connection terms from February 2026. Consequently, the Hellenic Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) would decide on each project within two months, until the local limit of 10 MW is reached.

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December 2, 2025
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Energy communities reduce power bills for members, improve electricity market

Citizen energy communities make the energy system greener and benefit society at a local level, Josh Roberts from European federation of energy communities REScoop said in his presentation, organized in Belgrade by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is a form of association that also lowers costs for households, institutions and small firms and entrepreneurs, and contributes to the deployment of progressive technologies. Furthermore, it is a framework for democratic control.

The event included developers from the emerging segment of energy communities and cooperatives in Serbia. They outlined the current initiatives and pointed to challenges regarding market entry, financing and policies.

The establishment and operation of energy communities is arranged through the European Union’s latest legislation, as well as in Serbia and other Western Balkan countries, but they are not a new concept. For instance, such entities still accounted for almost half of wind power output in Denmark in late 1990s, according to Senior Policy Advisor Josh Roberts from REScoop, the European federation of energy communities and cooperatives.

Speaking at a gathering that GIZ organized in Belgrade he pointed to the benefits for citizens, small firms and entrepreneurs and for institutions from setting up or joining energy communities. Initiatives in Serbia were also presented, and their progress in the same field, and the event included dialogue on the necessary technical solutions for connecting to the distribution grid.

Brussels-based REScoop was founded in 2013. In its membership are organizations from 22 European countries. They include Serbian energy cooperative Elektropionir. It gained the most ground regarding association and the implementation of projects.

One coal town has put up signpost for energy communities in Slovenia

Among other examples, Roberts highlighted Slovenia’s first energy community with a rooftop solar power plant for joint use. The facility is on the roof of an elementary school. The project involves aid for people living in energy poverty and it is free to join the group.

It is in the town of Hrastnik in a former coal industry area. The participants already lowered their power bills by 30%, and the gains will be even greater when they pay off the loan, Roberts said.

There are more than 1,600 energy communities in Austria

The representative of the REScoop federation stressed that municipalities in the Belgian region of Wallonia have succeeded in obtaining the right for citizens to participate in investments in green energy projects. It resulted in the foundation of a range of energy communities.

Roberts especially commended Austria’s legal framework with regard to enabling citizens to participate. The country hosts more than 1,600 energy communities.

Udruzivanje energetske zajednice smanjuje troskove trziste elektricne energije Dzos Roberts Josh REScoop GIZ

Energy community eases grid operator’s job

Energy communities are envisaged to return the invested funds to society at the local level. Subsidies are especially favorable for that, Roberts explained. Income is directed to education, infrastructure and aid against energy poverty.

The essence is that the community controls the distribution of the proceeds. In addition, grid operators can communicate more easily with one entity than with a hundred prosumers, Roberts underscored. Prosumers – or buyers-consumers, as they are formally called in Serbia, generate electricity for their own needs.

Pooling together enables providing services in the market, where energy communities can supply and store energy as well as conduct energy efficiency services, among other activities.

It means an entity of such type can ease the evening grid load, in moments of the highest demand, using energy from its batteries. That way, price peak shaving is achieved.

Registration process must be separate from defining activity

As for the procedure, Roberts said registration needs to be only for acknowledgement, rather than for approving specific activities.

“It’s about acknowledging the legal form and it’s about checking about how that legal form ensures compliance with the eligibility criteria. We have found very complex registration procedures. This does not work. It needs to be simple,” he stressed.

There are many activities that energy communities can undertake and they need to be able to enter them gradually, without complex procedures for licenses and permits

Conversely, in some jurisdictions there are simplified ways to get a supplier license. It enables an energy community to enter the activity gradually, instead of having to fulfill the requirements for all segments, even without having a comprehensive business model, the members or a business case, Roberts said.

He mentioned at the same time that one of the basic ideas is promoting inclusiveness.

“It’s already hard to set up an energy community, but it’s even harder to involve members who may have a hard time paying their bills, or have a lot less disposable income. So we found that the best models at the moment are for energy communities either to front the membership fees or for local authorities to pay for this upfront. And in energy sharing, we’re seeing more and more of energy donated to vulnerable households,” he stated.

Energy cooperatives helping improve rural areas from which people are leaving

Energy communities are giving people an opportunity for climate action and to contribute to their community, Roberts said. He added that such projects improve the area where they are conducted, stressing that it is especially important for rural areas from which many people are leaving.

A key point is that they enable participants to control their costs, production, consumption and energy sharing.

 The main challenge in Serbia is how to obtain a grid connection, alongside the matter of accessibility of incentives and loans

Importantly, energy communities are linked to the tradition of cooperatives, for which Serbia used to be known, but there is still much left to do around the legal framework.

There was word at the said gathering with representatives of institutions about the complexity of adjusting the electricity network to the production’s decentralization, as well as about the possibility to streamline the procedure for the establishment of energy communities and their operation.

Serbia is yet to address the accessibility of subsidies and financing, while currently the main issue is how to get grid connection approvals.

Energetsko zadrugarstvo smanjuje troskove trziste elektricne energije GIZ

Enterprise, association or cooperative

The speakers and other participants in the event agreed that the electricity market isn’t complete without energy communities, while that they modernize and democratize it.

When it comes to Serbian regulations, such legal entities have the right to conduct aggregation, but they need a license for it. Notably, aggregators have balancing responsibility, so they need to cover the deviations from the forecasted output.

Energy communities were introduced in the latest version of the Law on Energy. When they become regular in practice, the framework will need to be adjusted gradually to the situation. Citizens, firms and municipal authorities establish energy communities as enterprises, associations or cooperatives.

The bottom line is to enable citizens to take part in the clean energy transition and achieve local environmental, economic and social benefits, as opposed to prioritizing profits. It implies collective ownership, democratic control and reinvestment into the community with the goal of reducing energy poverty and promote energy independence.

The basic technical requirement for members is to have a smart electricity meter.

Elektropionir pioneering agrisolar in Serbia

The event’s organizers gathered the people who achieved the first steps in Serbia – from the Sunčani krovovi (Sunny Roofs) energy cooperative, created in 2019, to Platform for Energy Transition, which participated in uniting three residential buildings in Niš, which have a joint solar power plant and electric vehicle chargers. It is one of the first six prosumers in Serbia in the category of homeowner associations.

The Elektropionir energy cooperative managed through crowdfunding to install two cooperative-owned rooftop solar power systems on the territory of the City of Pirot, on the buildings of a local community council and a cultural center. As part of the Solarna Stara project, on Mt. Stara planina, the two villages receive the income from the sale of surplus electricity.

Srem is set to become the main region in Serbia for community energy

Next, the same organization built the first agrisolar power plant in Serbia. The 20 kV facility is at an organic farm, Organela, near the city of Valjevo.

Another recent undertaking is a rooftop photovoltaic unit on a school in the town of Ruma, envisaged to be the basis for an energy community. In the same area, Elektropionir is working on the installation of several prosumer power plants on house roofs and on aggregating them, inspired by the enthusiasm and the solar system of its member Nenad Maričić.

Owners and neighbors can jointly invest and they will be able to become an energy community and share energy among themselves.

Center for Sustainable Development to integrate string of energy systems of various technologies

Near Ruma, which is in the Srem (Syrmia) region, the City of Sremska Mitrovica and Regional Development Agency Srem have launched a major project. It is for the establishment of renewable energy communities (RECs), which are essentially a subset of citizen energy communities (CECs).

The local authority provided land for research and development. It is next to the regional waste landfill and a wastewater treatment plant. The plan is that the Center for Sustainable Development builds and integrates a string of energy systems.

They would include combined heat and power (CHP) production – cogeneration – from biomass, small wind turbines and a PV plant. The project also involves heat pumps and a storage facility assembled from old batteries.

There would be a facility running on biogas from the landfill within the center, and a magnet electric generator. Residents of the adjacent village of Jarak would be able to join the energy community.

Belgrade Energy Community is focused on equity, solidarity

Another group emerging in community energy is Belgrade Energy Community. It intends to apply a model of collective self-consumption in an urban area, with a focus on trust, equity and solidarity.

Its idea is to enable people to generate, share and use green energy. The plan is to map roofs and consumption and set up the first pilot installations.

According to the Belgrade Energy Community, it will donate 5% of the output to households affected by energy poverty. It consists of a cooperative, a civil society organization, two small enterprises, several prosumers and citizens.

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November 17, 2025
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Project pipeline in Greece for CO2 capture, storage nearing EUR 4 billion

Carbon capture and storage projects worth as much as EUR 3.6 billion are under development in Greece. Energean’s subsidiary EnEarth has launched a tender for drilling two wells for the Prinos site under the Aegean Sea, while DESFA won a EUR 169 million EU grant for a carbon dioxide liquefaction unit.

Investors in Greece are counting on demand from the domestic industry for carbon capture and storage (CCS), so that it can remain competitive with regard to carbon dioxide emission costs. Euro2day calculated that the project pipeline is worth up to EUR 3.6 billion as the endeavors are clearing major milestones.

The time for drilling in Prinos is approaching. EnEarth, a subsidiary of Energean, is working on the establishment of the storage facility offshore Kavala. Earlier this month it launched a tender for drilling two wells.

The Prinos project is valued at EUR 1.2 billion

Works are scheduled to begin in the first half of next year. The project is worth EUR 1.2 billion, of which the firm secured EUR 270 million in funding from the European Union. It is waiting for environmental terms (AEPO) from the Ministry of Environment and Energy, as well as for the storage permit.

Notably, a draft law covering the sector is reportedly complete.

DESFA seeks contractor to drill two wells in Prinos

Another step ahead was achieved with a project for a pipeline that would transport CO2 from energy-intensive industrial facilities to a liquefaction system in Revithoussa. The endeavor is called ApolloCO2. Greece’s National Natural Gas System Operator (DESFA) won EUR 169.3 million through the European Union’s Innovation Fund for the terminal.

The system would include temporary storage and transport by ships to permanent storage. The budget amounts to EUR 700 million in the first phase, with another EUR 60 million envisaged for an expansion.

ApolloCO2 is in a group of 61 projects in the Innovation Fund’s latest round for net zero technology, worth EUR 2.9 billion in total.

DESFA is working on the investment with Ecolog, a subsidiary of GasLog.

EU funding three major carbon capture projects that would be connected with Prinos storage site

AppoloCO2 would bring CO2 from three capture facilities also funded by the EU. There is a possibility to involve overseas customers as well.

Cement maker Heracles, part of Holcim Group, is developing the Olympus project worth EUR 400 million in Milaki, Aliveri. Its competitor Titan has a EUR 584 million endeavor underway in Kamari, Boeotia (Viotia). It is called Ifestos.

DESFA has applied for EUR 30 million from Connecting Europe Facility for the CO2 pipeline

Motor Oil Hellas aims to install a unit in its Agioi Theodoroi oil refinery costing EUR 300 million to EUR 400 million. The project is called IRIS – Innovative low caRbon hydrogen and methanol productIon by large Scale carbon capture. It is for the construction and operation of a CCUS and e-methanol production system that would cut the refinery’s CO2 emissions by a quarter. CCUS stands for carbon capture, utilization and storage.

DESFA is seeking EUR 30 million from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for a 35-kilometer CO2 pipeline. The first part would go from Ifestos and branch out to HELLENiQ Energy’s oil refinery in Elefsina (Eleusis). In subsequent phases, pipelines would reach Heracles’ Olympus, Metlen’s aluminum complex in Aspra Spitia, Thisvi in Boeotia (for GEK Terna’s Heron and HELLENiQ’s subsidiary Elpedison), and eventually Motor Oil’s IRIS.

As capacities grow, larger ships would be required to lower transportation costs. According to the article, three such vessels would cost EUR 240 million overall.

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November 10, 2025
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Cement maker Holcim gets EU grant for carbon capture project in Romania

A carbon capture and storage (CCS) project developed by cement maker Holcim Romania has been awarded financing under the European Union’s Innovation Fund. The European Commission has selected 61 cutting-edge net-zero technology projects across the EU to receive a total of EUR 2.9 billion in funding, covering sectors such as oil refining, hydrogen, transportation, chemicals, iron and steel, and the manufacture of components for renewable energy plants and batteries.

Holcim’s project at its plant in Câmpulung, Argeș county, involves capturing CO2 from cement and lime production and storing it underground. The first large-scale onshore CCS project of its kind in Eastern Europe is expected to produce an estimated two million tons of near-zero cement annually from 2032, according to a press release from Holcim.

The project will enable Holcim Romania to produce two million tons of near-zero cement annually

Carbon Hub CPT 01 will use proven carbon capture technology to separate CO2 from flue gases, which will then be compressed and transported for permanent, safe storage underground, the company said.

The Switzerland-based cement producer now has eight large-scale EU-supported carbon capture projects – in Germany, Poland, Belgium, France, Croatia, Greece, and Romania, according to the press release.

Decarbonizing energy-intensive industries across the EU

The European Commission said that the EUR 2.9 billion in grants follow its first call for net-zero technologies (IF24 Call), launched in December 2024, aiming to strengthen the EU’s technological leadership and accelerate the deployment of innovative decarbonization solutions.

The selected projects span 19 industrial sectors in 18 countries, focusing on energy-intensive industries, renewable energy and energy storage, net-zero mobility and buildings, cleantech manufacturing, and industrial carbon management.

The largest number of selected projects is in the cement and oil refining sectors

The largest number of awarded projects is in the refineries sector, with 11, followed by 10 in the cement and lime sector, 6 in the manufacturing of components for renewable energy, and 4 in the manufacturing of components for energy storage.

Other sectors on the list include chemicals, solar, maritime, road transportation, aviation, non-ferrous metals, hydrogen, buildings, construction materials, geothermal energy, and the manufacturing of components for energy-intensive industries.

The 61 selected projects have the potential to cut some 221 million tons of CO2 equivalent over their first decade of operation, supporting the EU’s objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, according to a press release from the European Commission.

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October 30, 2025
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Romanian city of Timișoara nearing construction of its own solar park

Romania is experiencing strong growth in photovoltaic capacity, with 1.7 GW installed in 2024 alone. Local authorities are actively contributing to the energy transition. They include Timișoara, which will soon get its own solar power plant, of 5.6 MW.

According to data from the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association (RPIA), solar power plants with a total capacity of 1.7 GW were installed in Romania last year. The expansion is driven by accessible financing, legal reforms, simplified permitting procedures, and auctions for contracts for difference (CfD).

Local authorities, including counties, are one of the pillars of the country’s energy transition. For example, in the small town of Turceni in southwestern Romania, home to only about 7,000 residents, a EUR 380 million project was recently launched. The municipal authority signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the construction of agrosolar parks, energy storage systems, and facilities for green hydrogen production and storage.

Timișoara is part of a growing group of local authorities developing solar power projects for their own needs

In northern Romania, the municipality of Târgu Lăpuș has established a public-private partnership with a company founded by Turkish and Romanian investors. The goal is to build a 200 MW solar power plant with an energy storage system. The investment is estimated at EUR 100 million.

Timișoara, the capital of Timiș county and the largest city in western Romania, has long been a part of the growing group of municipalities developing solar power projects for their own needs. Mayor Dominic Fritz and Minister of Environment Diana Buzoianu have signed a grant agreement for the construction of the city’s first solar park, of 5.6 MW, marking the start of the investment’s next phase.

The municipality will now launch the tender procedure for design and construction services. The solar power plant is expected to generate an average of 7.8 GWh of green energy annually.

Solar park to deliver direct benefits for the city

The total investment value is RON 32.2 million lei (EUR 6.3 million) including value-added tax. The project is conducted under the European Union’s Modernisation Fund, managed by the Ministry of Energy. The fund supports investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, storage, grids, and just transition in 13 European Union member states with lower incomes. It uses the proceeds from the sale of greenhouse gas emission allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).

“The solar park will bring direct benefits to the city – lower costs, reduced emissions, and more sustainable infrastructure. It is just one of the projects through which we are transforming Timișoara into a green and smart city, capable of producing a significant share of the energy it consumes from renewable sources,” said Fritz.

The solar power plant will cover two thirds of public lighting needs

PV panels will be installed near the wastewater treatment plant in the Freidorf district, on 20 hectares. The generated electricity will cover around two thirds of the city’s public lighting consumption. The facility would contribute to lowering greenhouse gas emissions with 4,800 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually.

The solar power plant is part of the local administration’s broader plan to switch to renewable energy sources and reduce pollution. Timișoara has also expressed interest in a state aid mechanism for the production and transport of geothermal energy for district heating and cooling systems, worth EUR 300 million, covered from the Modernisation Fund. Last year, the city signed a strategic partnership with OMV Petrom to utilize geothermal energy for district heating.

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October 30, 2025
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Number of electric vehicles in Serbia reaches 6,000

There are about 6,000 registered electric vehicles in Serbia, according to Filip Mitrović, coordinator of the Emobility cluster of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PKS).

The fleet of 6,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in Serbia is small compared to Europe, Filip Mitrović stressed at the Belgrade Energy Days conference, as quoted by Tanjug. He also identified two obstacles to further growth.

First of all, regulatory inconsistencies make it impossible to accurately charge for the electricity consumed by electric vehicles at charging stations. Billing is currently based only on the duration of e-charger use, rather than the actual amount of electricity consumed, he added.

Complex documentation is required to install an electric charger

He underlined that there is no legal way to charge for the electricity consumed per kilowatt-hour. Therefore, a time-based charging method is used for electric vehicles.

“That’s not fair,” he said, and added that anyone who has used an EV knows it is standard to be charged based on the amount of electricity consumed. Mitrović noted that different models of EVs draw varying amounts of energy from the e-charger in the same period.

The second problem, in his words, is the procedure for the installation of EV chargers. Very often, complex documentation is required, which slows down and complicates the entire process, making investors give up on the project, Mitrović stressed.

In recent years, the Government of Serbia has been awarding subsidies for what it officially calls “ecological vehicles.” Last year, it decided to stop subsidizing hybrid (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid (PHEVs) electric vehicles and to provide funding only for 100% EVs or battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Subsidies were granted for approximately 3,300 vehicles

The criteria remained the same this year. On August 8, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said it ended approving subsidies for the purchase of new EVs for 2025. All the allocated funds have been granted, it explained.

However, the government then secured more money and resumed the procedure on August 28.

In mid-September, the ministry said that the government backed the purchase of 2,834 eco-friendly vehicles since 2020. With the applications received this year, the number has reached 3,305.

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October 30, 2025
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Domac: No energy transition without much stronger grid investments

Croatia is investing only half as much in the electricity network as Slovenia and Austria, said Managing Director of North-West Croatia Regional Energy and Climate Agency (REGEA) Julije Domac. He warned that without an acceleration in grid investments, there are no renewable sources and no energy transition.

Croatia is about to overcome one of the biggest obstacles to investments in green energy, with its proposed methodology for the grid connection fee. However, there are several more bottlenecks in the sector, and they mostly also concern the electricity network.

The grid is apparently not among priority segments in Croatia, which depends to a large extent on electricity imports. The situation is similar throughout the Balkans and Europe, and beyond, and the basic question is who will cover the expenses as well as which projects are the most important for enabling the deployment of renewables. Among other difficulties, the administrative capacity for permitting for grid improvements and expansion is too weak, alongside complex environmental and spatial planning requirements.

Managing Director of REGEA Julije Domac outlined his view on the matter in a LinkedIn post. “Without an electricity network, there are no grid connections, no RES, no transition… There is more than 13 GW of solar and wind power projects under development today, but the network cannot integrate it without accelerated investments,” he wrote.

Photo: Julije Domac (REGEA)

Grid operators reacting with emergency measures instead of long-term strategy

The free capacity in the power distribution grid is estimated at 3.7 GW, but a large part is in areas with low interest for investing, Domac pointed out. Of note, he is also Croatian President Zoran Milanović’s special advisor on energy and climate.

“In the coastal area and Dalmatia, where the resources are the best, the network is near the maximum load in many parts – it means a malfunction of one element could jeopardize the system’s stability. To avoid that, the operators are already often turning to emergency measures in dispatching now: shutting down parts of the network, redirecting flows, pausing works. It is ‘putting out fires’ – and not a long-term strategy,” the head of REGEA said.

The regulated income from tariffs limits investments as the transition’s urgency isn’t acknowledged

Domac stressed that Croatia is investing less than EUR 20 per customer per year, only half as much as Slovenia and Austria. In his opinion, the tariff-based methodology is limiting investments. Namely, Croatian Transmission System Operator (HOPS) and HEP-ODS, the national distribution system operator, are funded through regulated income under the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency (HERA), and the mechanism doesn’t acknowledge the urgency of the transition, according to the energy expert.

Another point is delayed digitalization, as Croatia has a much lower share of smart meters than neighboring Slovenia, where it surpassed 99%, or Italy, where the level is around 95%, he underscored. There is no domestic market for flexibility and no contracts with batteries and with consumers that could help ease the pressure on the grid, Domac claims.

In addition, he highlighted the sluggish grid connection procedure, saying it lasts ten years for wind power plants and four years for photovoltaics, the most in all European Union.

Grid connection costs can be covered with EU funding, green bonds

Domac is recommending to the authorities to introduce temporary connection points, with a controlled power delivery – limited until network enhancements are completed. HERA did envisage such a possibility in its draft methodology.

The grid connection fee for renewable electricity plants should be abolished, which was already promised, Domac recalled. It is an obstacle blocking 60 projects for 3.5 GW in total, he noted. It is the grid operator that should bear the cost and, aside from the tariff items, it can finance them through EU funds and green bonds, like most member states do, Domac added.

He expressed the belief that ten or so most important grid interventions should be accelerated – transformer stations and transmission lines in particular and especially in Dalmatia. Pilot projects for batteries and flexibility would pave the way for more grid connections without the wires, and public procurements need to be streamlined as well for works worth up to EUR 1 million, for instance, so that the replacement of one transformer doesn’t last twelver months, Domac asserted.

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October 30, 2025
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Romania issues call for additional wind power auction for 290 MW

Wind farm project developers in Romania can bid by November 24 for state aid in the form of contracts for difference (CfDs). The call was issued for an additional auction, for 290 MW, after the regular round was completed with more than a third of the quota remaining unallocated.

The Ministry of Energy of Romania and transmission system operator Transelectrica formally launched their third auction today under the CfD state aid scheme for renewable energy. The additional round is only for wind power projects.

Only 1.26 GW was allocated of the available 2 GW in the second, regular auction. It was held within a EUR 3 billion renewable energy program under the European Union’s Modernisation Fund and Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP or PNRR).

Aurora Energy Research has interpreted the lack of interest as an indication that developers may have seen more value outside the CfD framework: in power purchase agreements (PPAs) and merchant options. The firm recently said it expected strike prices near the EUR 80 per MWh ceiling.

Financial offers will be opened on December 2, the calendar shows

The maximum price is the same as the last time. Notably, the quota for the additional auction is just 290 MW. Developers have until November 24 to apply with projects of at least 5 MW each. In addition to the bid, they need to submit a technical offer proving eligibility.

Transelectrica, the CfD scheme operator, is due to open the technical offers on November 17. Financial offers of the qualified applicants will be opened on December 2, according to the schedule. The winners would need to sign their contracts for difference by December 18.

The CfDs are for a 15-year period. When the market price of electricity is lower than the price in the contract, the government pays the private operator the difference for the electricity that the beneficiary sells. When it’s the other way around, the producer returns the difference.

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