Between September 7 and September 13, 2026, 71 articles were published covering electricity, gas, nuclear, oil, solar, trading and wind across Southeast Europe. The most-read items in the period included Engie adding a four-hour Calan battery to a Romanian storage pipeline on September 7, and Romania’s 99.2-MW Green Breeze wind farm approaching commercial operation the same day. Croatia opened a €38 million household energy scheme with battery support on September 8. Serbia’s EPS also sought private renewable projects as generation diversification accelerated on September 7.
Electricity prices, drought impacts and winter policy measures
On September 12, SEE baseload prices retreated while evening peaks stayed around €250/MWh, keeping a flexibility premium in place. Croatia spent €170 million to suppress winter energy prices, delaying a market reset on the same date. Montenegro reported that Pljevlja supplied 65% of EPCG summer generation as drought reduced hydro output on September 11. Hungary faced record-low Danube levels that required emergency dredging at a Budapest power plant on September 11.
Bulgaria’s electricity surplus widened after a hydro rebound on September 10. Greece planned a €5 billion energy package targeting a 30% reduction in power prices on September 10. Greece also secured €2.3 billion for island grids, renewables and storage on September 8. Bosnia’s power import bill doubled as coal and hydro output weakened on September 7.
Nuclear outages and control-system work
Romania faced a prolonged nuclear outage as low Danube levels delayed the restart of Cernavodă on September 11. Romania’s Cernavodă restart was pushed beyond mid-September as drought persisted, with ABB selected for a Cernavodă Unit 1 control-system overhaul on September 7. Hungary’s Paks II nuclear project could slip to 2035, according to coverage dated September 10. Slovenia reshuffled GEN leadership as investment decisions for Krško 2 approached on September 8.
Gas market integration and LNG-related disclosures
Gas-market reporting highlighted integration steps between Serbia and North Macedonia through the Vertical Gas Corridor on September 7. North Macedonia assigned MEMO to build an organised gas market on September 7 as well. The EU held off additional gas measures despite lower storage levels on September 7. Europe-wide coverage noted gas prices hitting the highest level since 2022 as risks tied to Hormuz grew on September 11.
Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz disclosed BOTAS LNG volumes while keeping contract costs hidden in reporting dated September 11. Another item dated September 8 described a European gas surge widening Bulgaria’s price advantage as SEE autumn risks rose. Albania’s LNG plan was also flagged as potentially redrawing Balkan gas flows and challenging Greek supply routes in coverage dated September 12.
Renewables buildouts: batteries, solar and wind projects
Engie added a four-hour Calan battery to its Romanian storage pipeline on September 7. Romania’s Green Breeze wind farm, at 99.2 MW, approached commercial operation on September 7. Croatia opened its €38 million household energy scheme with battery support on September 8. EPS opened an M&A channel for Serbian wind, solar and hybrid projects on September 9.
Econergy started a 70 MW battery at a Romanian solar project on September 11. Fortis advanced a 300-MW Serbian solar portfolio to ready-to-build stage on September 10, while OKTA added a 3 MW battery to a North Macedonia solar plant on September 9. Kapino Polje construction began in Montenegro to cut reliance on volatile imports on September 12.
Wind developments included Enercon supplying 7-MW turbines for Qair’s Romanian wind project on September 10. EPCG advanced a €26 million Gvozd 2 wind expansion in Montenegro on September 8. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Hrgud wind project faced a fresh delay after a tender appeal dated September 10.
Tendered hydropower financing and grid bottlenecks affecting trade
Bosnia and Herzegovina: ERS subsidiary planned another capital increase for the Bistrica hydropower project on September 11. In electricity trade coverage dated September 12, Romania emerged as a Balkan gas transit bottleneck as the Hungary link hit capacity during the period described by the reporting timeline. Southeast Europe’s grid bottlenecks were also linked to potential new price shocks despite rising renewable capacity in coverage dated September 12.
The period also included reporting that European balancing integration advanced as Bulgaria joined MARI and SEE flexibility moved toward a common market on September 12. Summer drought overturned Europe’s comfortable adequacy outlook and left SEE exposed into winter in coverage dated September 12.
Trading volumes and price moves across exchanges
Tarding coverage showed North Macedonia power-exchange volumes jumping 58% year-on-year in August, with the item dated September 10. Hungary’s HUPX August power price rose 24%, alongside higher day-ahead volumes, also dated September 10. Bulgarian day-ahead trading increased as August power prices jumped in coverage dated September 10.
Southeast Europe power prices diverged as solar output reshaped the market for the period referenced as “September 8” in reporting dated August-end transition days; the item was listed under date range content for that day segment. Serbia detaches from the SEE cluster was reported with Monday 7/9 demand rebound, exposing border constraints in coverage dated September 7. Croatia’s CROPEX August turnover rose 27% year-on-year as power prices climbed in coverage dated September 7.
CBAM and GoO rules reshape cross-border electricity economics
The period included multiple items connecting carbon border adjustments with electricity trading routes across Southeast Europe and into the EU framework described by CBAM-related reporting dated September 13. EU GoO recognition was reported to open a renewable certificate market while not solving CBAM issues in coverage dated September 13. EU reform was also flagged as potentially cutting punitive CBAM default factors for Balkan electricity in coverage dated September 13.
A separate item reported Serbian electricity facing a €78/MWh CBAM default cost, tied to tightening of an actual-emissions route referenced for the same date range entry of September 13. Western Balkan-EU electricity trade remained 19% lower as CBAM redraws regional routes in reporting dated September 13, while Serbia-Hungary exports doubled as electricity moved north towards Ukraine in coverage dated that day segment.
[No additional facts beyond those listed above were provided within the supplied period.]
