Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) has in recent years constantly stood at the center of energy debates, strategic announcements and major promises about modernization, European integration, support for renewables and strengthening system stability. At the same time, Serbia has entered a period of energy transition, growth of wind farms, increasing market demands and pressure to lift its power grid to a level comparable with Europe. In that dynamic, a fundamental question must be asked: what has EMS actually delivered, and what remains unfinished or merely declarative?
First, it must be acknowledged what has truly been achieved. Technically, EMS has advanced. Certain elements of the transmission system have been modernized, network capacity has been increased, critical transmission points have been strengthened, and control systems have been upgraded, enabling safer and more precise operation of the power system. In regional cooperation, major steps have been made. Interconnections with neighboring countries have been strengthened, data flow and technical harmonization with European standards have improved, and Serbia’s participation in ENTSO-E processes is now more systematic and serious than before. EMS has managed to maintain system stability during significant growth in renewables integration, which is undeniably an important technical and operational achievement. Additionally, several new software and operational tools have been introduced, improving network monitoring and enabling more efficient response in demand and production shifts.
Regarding wind and solar integration, the grid today is capable of accepting far more renewable capacity than before. EMS has adjusted procedures, improved operational coordination, and enabled more grid connections, meaning the system is now at least partially more open to energy transition than a few years ago. Training programs and international cooperation efforts have also been initiated, reflecting awareness that human expertise remains crucial.
However, precisely where structural depth, long-term vision and institutional capacity begin, problems also emerge. Much of what was publicly presented as a “great leap forward” has yet to fully materialize. Digitalization, portrayed as the creation of a smart grid of the new generation, is far from complete. There is still no comprehensive smart grid, no full-scale automation, and predictive management with real-time analytics remains only partially implemented. In other words, work has begun — but not finished. Not due to technical impossibility, but because of systemic slowness, bureaucratic constraints and lack of sustained strategic pressure.
A second major gap concerns energy storage and system flexibility. There has been talk for years about battery storage, pumped hydro, and flexible balancing mechanisms, yet in practice almost none of this exists at meaningful scale. This means Serbia currently has a grid that can accept renewables but lacks sufficient long-term, secure integration tools. The system works, but it lacks reserve capacity, modern flexibility and protective mechanisms needed for future shocks as wind and solar capacity continue to expand.
Market-wise and in terms of Europe, EMS stands between two realities. On one hand, there has been significant alignment with EU procedures, stronger regional participation and improved technical harmonization with ENTSO-E rules. On the other hand, full market integration remains unfinished. Regional markets are not fully open, balancing mechanisms are not fully market-based, and transparency still lags behind Europe’s best practices. Serbia is formally moving toward Europe — but is not yet fully “inside” the same energy space.
Perhaps the most serious challenge lies in human capacity. EMS has invested in training and partnerships, yet lacks a long-term workforce strategy. There is no systemic plan to generate new generations of elite engineers, no sufficiently strong bond with universities, no mechanisms to retain top expertise or send a clear message to young professionals that they are entering a nationally critical mission. Without people, technology remains theoretical.
The conclusion is clear. EMS has progressed — system stability has improved, the grid is stronger, European alignment is real, and operational competence is evident. Yet the core transformative tasks remain ahead: full digitalization, storage development, long-term flexibility, full European integration and a strategic human capital renewal. In essence, EMS has achieved what was technically and operationally possible in the medium term, but what is strategically deep, institutionally demanding and transformational — remains unfinished.
