Workshop on power grid development in Western Balkans held by GIZ, Energy Community Secretariat
The development of grid infrastructure in the Western Balkans is a crucial step in the region’s energy transition. In support of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, GIZ, in cooperation with the Energy Community Secretariat, organized a Strategic Workshop on Power Grids, with a focus on a concrete action plan for the entire region.
Without the development of grid infrastructure, large-scale electrification based on clean energy sources is not possible. The process requires significant investments and new solutions for operating the grid. Existing power lines will need to be reinforced, while new infrastructure, especially on low and medium voltage levels, as well as interconnectors, must be built over the next ten years.
The recent large-scale power outage in Southern Europe, and the one in the Western Balkans in 2024, are a stark reminder of the importance of ensuring system stability amid the growing use of renewables and the need for preventive safety measures. A functional and reliable electricity supply is key to gaining broad public support for alternative energy sources and green policies.
The Strategic Workshop on Power Grids, organized by GIZ in Vienna as part of the project Green Agenda: Decarbonization of the Electricity Sector in the Western Balkans, in cooperation with the Energy Community Secretariat, brought together representatives from transmission and distribution system operators, along with experts from the Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute (EIHP), intending to develop the Action Plan for Power Grids in the Western Balkans.
The action plan provides a clear roadmap for grid development in the Western Balkans
Electricity networks in Western Balkan countries were not designed to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Although the countries in the region have adopted very ambitious decarbonization and renewable energy integration targets, around two thirds of electricity generation comes from coal-fired power plants, according to Goran Majstrović, Deputy Director and Head of the Energy Transmission and Distribution Department at EIHP.
“Regional power networks remain constrained by outdated assets, insufficiently utilized interconnection capacities, administrative bottlenecks, and inadequate digitalization. Without urgent and coordinated action, the power network in the Western Balkans will become a serious bottleneck to secure operation and progress rather than a platform for transformation and development,” Majstrović explains.
Without urgent and coordinated action, the electricity network in the Western Balkans could become a serious obstacle to secure operation and progress, instead of being a platform for transformation and development, he warned.
The Western Balkan Action Plan for Power Grids directly addresses the root causes of recent blackouts, including extreme weather events, aging infrastructure, and the growing share of variable renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar, as their output is sensitive to any changes in weather conditions.
By focusing on grid modernization, regional coordination, and system resilience, the plan offers a concrete roadmap for preventing future outages. It also promotes investment in smart grid technologies, cross-border interconnectors, and digital system monitoring, all of which are essential for adapting to growing demand and fluctuations in electricity production.
The action plan is a strong expression of regional cooperation in the power sector
Crucially, the plan strengthens operational cooperation among system operators across the Western Balkans region, enabling a more flexible and integrated regional grid. In doing so, it lays the foundation for a stable and secure energy transition based on renewables, helping the region become a reliable supplier of clean electricity to Europe.
According to Goran Majstrović, the Action Plan for Western Balkans Grids provides a forward-looking and regionally harmonized strategy to address the challenges. It is built on the vision of the European Union’s Action Plan for Grids and aligns closely with the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, the Energy Community framework, and each country’s national energy and climate plan (NECP).
The document is a strong expression of collaboration of the Western Balkans power sector in a matter of high mutual interest – mobilizing attention, human and financial resources for a rapid energy transition, enabled by sustainable, interconnected, and resilient power infrastructure.
