Shortly after announcing the planned start of construction on the Paks II nuclear power plant, Hungarian based Magyar Villamos Muvek (Hungarian Electricity Works, MVM) announced a beginning of an ambitious investment program aimed at implementing 108 solar units across the country. The €160 million worth plan will increase the installed solar power plant output by around 100 MW. Two main sites proposed by the project will each have a 20 MW capacity and are estimated to cost j

Croatia will provide incentives for improving energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewables in enterprises. State Aid Program for the Promotion of Energy Efficiency and the Use of Renewable Energy Sources in Enterprises came into force at start of Septembember marking the continuation of efforts towards sustainable energy solutions. Financing will be helped by the European Regional Development Fund. Source: Balkan Green Energy News #Croatia #energypolicy

Serbian main utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) announced an investment plan by year 2025 of over €550 million in an effort to modernise its existing generation portfolio and raise its output capacity. Planned additional capacity to the existing 3,000 MW hydropower portfolio is over 160 MW during the designated period. The plan is aimed to support the Serbian government's efforts to align the power sector with EU policies. Source: Hydro World, SEE News #energypolicy #Serbia

Power plants across Europe will soon face stricter emission standards as Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) Article 75 Committee members voted on the new Best Available Techniques Reference Document for Large Combustion Plants (LCP BREF). Operators will have to further limit their harmful impact on the environment as all large combustion plants in the EU will have to meet the requirements by 2021. How the new standards will affect the coal generaion fleet of South East Euro

As reported by Natural Gas World, Trump administration urges EU to prioritise energy security when discussing policy issues. Despite intentions, it is believed that security of supply still presents a major challenge for the EU, as witnessed by the state during the cold spell which occured in the past couple of weeks. US expressed a wish to strengthen ties and further advance cooperation with EU when forming energy policies. Source: Natural Gas World #energypolicy

EU agreed on the EC's proposal to fund €444 million worth of energy infrastructure projects considered key for the development of the European energy sector. Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), EU's funding support organisation for infrastructure, is to provide the necessary money. Out of the 18 projects, 10 regard gas (€228mn), 7 electricity (€176mn) and 1 smart grids (€40mn). Three of the largest grants amount to almost €300mn and regard compressed air energy storage construc

Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest oil producer plans to develop about 10 GW of renewable energy projects by 2023, mostly wind and solar. The decision was partly motivated by a slump in oil prices which considerably reduced the country's fianncial reserves. Saudi Arabia now sees diversification of the energy portfolio as a necessary step towards improving the country's energy security. Source: Bloomberg #energypolicy

After recent ratification and entry into force, EU is putting in place legislation to achieve thegoal of emission reduction by at least 40 % in 2030 compared to 1990. As reported by the European Commission, in 2015, the EU was responsible for 10% of world greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions in the EU were reduced by 22% between 1990 and 2015 while the economy grew by 50% over the same period. Modernisation of the energy sector is in line with a shift towards low-carbon techno

European Commission released the Second Report on the State of the Energy Union concluding that Europe is continuing its energy transition towards a low-carbon energy system. Carbon emissions, energy efficiency and renewable energy are all on track to successfully reach 2020 targets. The Figure presented reveals shares of renewable energy in the EU when compared to the Renewable Energy Directive and the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (source: EC). However, a surge in r

Within less than an hour after inauguration, Trump Administration published America First Energy Plan via the White House website. Key messages state the goals will include "eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule", "embracing the shale oil and gas revolution" and "committing to clean coal technology and reviving America’s coal industry". Source: White House #US #energypolicy