Photo: BGEN
The green agenda is necessary to ensure an economy’s competitiveness and the energy security of the country, and therefore it is important that all stakeholders have the same understanding of the green agenda, according to John Šuša, Head of Large-Scale Project Development for Eastern Europe at Trina Solar.
John Šuša was one of the participants in the panel ‘Major challenges for an increased share of renewable energy sources in the SEE region’ at the Belgrade Energy Forum (BEF 2023).
Speaking about the permitting process for green projects in Serbia, he said that when compared with more than a hundred other countries where Trina Solar operates, everything is simpler and that the latest changes to the regulatory framework eased it further.
As for the hurdles, they are in the mindset of the main stakeholders – state-owned utilities Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS), Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) and the Ministry of Mining and Energy, as well as in the recently adopted changes to the Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources, when a battery installation requirement was introduced for developers seeking grid connection permit, Šuša stressed.
In his view, the mindset issue is present all over the world. Šuša argued it is why the renewables industry must work with such stakeholders on understanding the green agenda and energy security.
It is not just about renewable energy investors and the government and its state-owned companies – other firms need to be competitive as well
“It is impossible to have a competitive economy, especially in Europe, without the green agenda, which means that it is not possible to ensure energy security without it,” he said.
It is not just about renewable energy investors and the government and its state-owned companies – other firms need to be competitive as well, Šuša underscored.
The renewable energy industry has an important task: to reach an understanding with all the other stakeholders on what the green agenda is and how it can contribute to energy security, in his view.
As for the possibility to obligate investors to install batteries to get grid connection, Šuša said they estimated it could increase costs by 20%, making most projects under development in Serbia unprofitable.
Hungary has attempted to impose a similar system, but the result was that not a single power plant was installed, he asserted. There are other solutions throughout Europe for clearing out excessive grid connection requests, according to Šuša.
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