In Serbia, the 72 MWh battery at the Nocaj solar project could help exporters manage electricity procurement and prepare for the EU’s CBAM. Storage can make low-carbon electricity more usable and predictable for exporters. It may align renewable supply with factory demand and reduce reliance on high-carbon grid purchases during selected hours, but it does not itself cut embedded emissions or provide a CBAM exemption.
The definitive period of the EU’s CBAM began in 2026, increasing the relevance of carbon costs for exporters covered by the mechanism. Steel, aluminium and cement producers may gain commercially from a cleaner, more manageable electricity procurement profile. Storage can strengthen energy management, but does not replace the underlying emissions rules.
Electricity evidence remains essential
The compliance value of storage depends on the applicable CBAM methodology and the supporting evidence chain, not simply on battery ownership. Metering, contractual allocation, guarantees of origin where relevant, and consumption data that can be verified remain necessary to support claims about electricity use. A battery alone does not establish that evidence.
For exporters, the potential business case includes lower exposure to volatile market purchases and better use of renewable output. Storage may also support a more controlled electricity evidence package for carbon reporting. It can help determine when renewable power is used, but cannot by itself establish the electricity’s emissions treatment under CBAM.
Market signals and the Nocaj project
Serbia’s renewable generation faces increasing exposure to hourly price and capture risk, while industrial users continue to encounter expensive evening periods. In May 2026, SEEPEX recorded Serbia’s first day-ahead price below zero, underscoring the changing hourly price environment for generation and consumption.
Solar-plus-storage systems can shift some renewable output towards factory demand and hours when grid electricity costs more. The Nocaj project is an example of this market direction, combining 270 MWp of solar capacity with 72 MWh of storage. The battery is not large enough to make the solar plant fully firm.
It can nevertheless improve output shaping and reduce imbalance in a bilateral supply arrangement. The project’s relevance to CBAM would still depend on the applicable methodology and documented electricity evidence. Storage capacity alone would not determine that relevance.
