Photo: Balkan Green Energy News
The agenda is ready for the fourth Belgrade Energy Forum – BEF 2026, scheduled for May 11 and 12. Over the course of two days, participants will have the opportunity to hear from more than 50 speakers, including five ministers, as well as managers from leading investors in the region and eminent experts. The program features presentations of the latest market trends, and the newest technology solutions that are already operational.
The Belgrade Energy Forum, organized by Southeast Europe’s leading energy news portal, Balkan Green Energy News, will feature eight panels. The opening session will bring together the ministers of energy and mining from Bosnia and Herzegovina – the Federation of BiH and the Republic of Srpska – Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
Energy Community Secretariat Director Artur Lorkowski and Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović are opening the event.
The first ministerial panel – Securing the energy transition in Southeast Europe: cooperation, resilience, leadership – will feature Sanja Božinovska, Minister of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources of North Macedonia, Admir Šahmanović, Minister of Energy and Mining of Montenegro, Petar Đokić, Minister of Energy and Mining of the Republic of Srpska, and Vedran Lakić, Minister of Energy, Mining, and Industry of the Federation of BiH.
Petrikić: Green energy is not just an ecological imperative, but also an economic opportunity for the region
CMS Belgrade Managing Partner Radivoje Petrikić will moderate the high-level panel. He stressed that green energy isn’t just an ecological imperative, but also an economic opportunity for the entire region.
“It is a great pleasure for us to be BEF 2026 sponsor and to have the opportunity to actively contribute to the dialogue on sustainable energy solutions and the acceleration of green investments in the Balkans alongside leading experts and decision-makers,” Petrikić added.
A Silver sponsor, CMS Belgrade (Petrikić & Partneri AOD in cooperation with CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz), is part of CMS CEE, based in Vienna.
After the ministerial panel, participants will be addressed by Vice President of Business Development at OMV Petrom Gas & Power Narcis Popescu. The company, a Silver sponsor, is part of the OMV Group, headquartered in Vienna. OMV Petrom is developing numerous renewable energy projects, and recently took an important step in the development of a solar power plants with a total capacity of 550 MW in Romania.
Alkaya: There is a difference between those who participate in the transition and those who truly shape it
Nu Energy has joined the BEF partner network as a Bronze sponsor. It develops and delivers renewable energy projects through an integrated model that connects project development, construction, asset management, and energy trading, with a focus on solar power plants, BESS, EPC projects, and electricity trading.
The company is part of Nu Group Holding, an integrated business framework in which Nu Energy, Nu Steel Houses and Nu Teknoloji create synergies between energy, technology and infrastructure.
Erkut Alkaya, the company’s CEO, says they see BEF as a key meeting point for capital, knowledge, and strategic decisions shaping the region’s energy market. Nu Energy comes to this platform as a company that helps build the market through projects, capital, and operational execution, he added.
“Our strength lies in developing and managing complete energy systems, from the initial idea to market valorisation. That is what makes the difference between those who take part in the transition and those who truly shape it,” Alkaya underscored.
Trends, innovations, field experiences
BEF 2026’s Technology sponsors and Knowledge partners are preparing insightful, and inspiring presentations.
PwC SEE Energy Consulting Leader Mislav Slade-Šilović will reveal the latest data and trends with his presentation titled Navigating the energy transition in Southeast Europe. PwC is a Knowledge partner.
Gregor Martinović, co-founder of Switzerland-based Virtual Global Trading (VGT), a Technology sponsor, will hold a live demo of an innovative solution for increasing energy market revenue with behind-the-meter optimization.
Europe is currently experiencing a boom in the installation of battery energy storage systems (BESS). There is likely no better address to learn what this dramatic shift looks like than Slovenian energy solution firm NGEN – one of the leaders of this change, and a Technology sponsor.
Turkish YESS Power, a silver sponsor, will demonstrate how it recently completed the installation of the largest battery in the Western Balkans. The company has finished 60 MWh BESS in North Macedonia.
II – Impact of the introduction of CBAM on the regional electricity market
- Anže Predovnik, Chairman of the Management Board of ADEX Group and CEO of BSP Energy Exchange
- Jasmina Trhulj, Head of Electricity Department, Energy Community Secretariat
- Zoran Gjorgjievski, CEO, MEMO
- Maja Turković, Executive Vice President, CWP Europe
- Mark Copley, CEO, Energy Traders Europe
- Vladimir Đorđević, Senior Originator, Axpo Group.
The application of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is already having significant impacts on the electricity markets of the Energy Community countries and on their relationship with the EU market.
Early empirical data indicate a decline in liquidity, a reduction in the number of active participants, an increase in price differences between related exchanges, and a waning interest in cross-border capacities.
Dejan Stojčevski, Chief Technology Officer of the SEEPEX power exchange, will moderate the panel.
III – Decarbonization strategies of energy-intensive industries
- Branko Zečević, Chairman of the Association of Serbian Energy Intensive Industry, President of Metalfer Group
- Grzegorz Zielinski, Director, Head of Energy Europe, EBRD
- Lazar Mijić, Vice President for Business Strategy for Electrification, Automation, and Digitalization, Siemens Energy
The application of CBAM is a particular challenge for businesses. Basically it envisages decarbonization. Representatives of the Association of Serbian Energy Intensive Industry (ASEII), a silver sponsor, will discuss what they are facing, bankers will present financing opportunities, and Siemens Energy, a bronze sponsor, will display available technological solutions.
Branko Zečević believes that industrial decarbonization will only succeed if it is anchored in economic reality and backed by a clear and coherent policy framework. As expectations rise, the key question is no longer whether the transition will happen, but how to make it work in practice, in his view.
“For energy-intensive sectors in Serbia, this means a stable and predictable framework that unlocks investment and enables long-term transformation. Decarbonization, if done right, can strengthen, not weaken Serbia’s industrial base,” Zečević pointed out.
Mijić: The industry is looking for real steps
Siemens Energy, with 99,000 dedicated employees in more than 90 countries, is developing the energy systems of the future. Siemens Energy d.o.o Beograd is the regional leader in providing electricity generation and transmission solutions, as well as decarbonization projects in the process industry.
As of 2022, Competence Center for industrial solutions is a part of Siemens Energy d.o.o Beograd, first such center of excellence in the field of energy employing more than 100 specialists of many engineering disciplines, which executes complex projects for industry markets mainly in Europe and Middle East also supporting other regions around the globe.
According to Lazar Mijić, decarbonizing energy‑intensive industries requires solutions that improve efficiency, ensure reliability, and deliver measurable results in operations. Today, the industry is looking for real steps, he stressed.
“That’s why exchanges like this matter: they help us get a clearer view on challenges and find ways together to strengthen resilience and competitiveness. At Siemens Energy, we remain committed to an industrial transition that is feasible, responsible, and focused on real outcomes,” Mijić said.
The panel moderator is climate and energy consultant Lena Klopčić.
IV – Power System Transition towards Flexible, Secure and Decarbonized Future
- Dušan Živković, CEO, Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS)
- Dražen Jakšić, CEO, Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP)
- Bruno Bensasson, CEO, Akuo Energy Group
- Neda Lazendić, Energy expert
- Milutin Đukanović, President of Board of Directors, EPCG
The energy crisis, initiated by the wars in Ukraine and Iran, have brought to the forefront the imperative of ensuring energy security.
The decision-makers are asking state-owned power utilities to achieve it. But these companies are now fully occupied with decarbonization, decentralization, and digitalization. Partnership with private companies can help deal with the issue, so this will be an opportunity to see how they could achieve it.
Bansason: Energy transition goes beyond political differences
French producer of renewable energy Akuo, a Silver sponsor, is present across the entire value chain: from development to operation, through financing and construction. As of the end of 2025, Akuo had a total capacity of 2.1 GW in operation and under construction, and a project portfolio of over 10 GW.
“Energy transition goes beyond political differences: it is about sovereignty and shaping our heritage for the young generation. Taking an active role in it is Akuo’s DNA: together, we will achieve it better and faster,” Akuo CEO Bruno Bensasson pointed out.
The panel moderator is Colenco CEO Nikola Bitrak.
V – Emerging finance structures for the energy transition in Southeast Europe
- Francesco Corbo, Regional Head Energy Europe for Western Balkans 6 and Croatia, SIG Group, EBRD
- Svetlana Cerović, Head of financing, UniCredit Bank Serbia
- Reinhold Strauss, Board Member of the Green for Growth Fund (GGF)
- Vladimir Bogosavljević, Head of Business Development, Marsh.
Renewable energy projects are increasing, storage is becoming more common, and regulations are improving in SEE. Still, many advanced projects struggle to secure the financing they need to move forward.
Vladimir Bogosavljević, Business Development Head of Marsh, noted that BEF has become an important meeting point for professionals shaping the energy transition in the region.
“It offers a unique opportunity to connect different perspectives, from investors and developers to insurers and risk advisors, and to discuss how we can collectively support the growth of energy projects,” he stressed.
Panel moderator Marijan Rančić is Business Development Director of New Energy Solutions.
He is an energy specialist with over 20 years of experience spanning development finance, renewable energy investment, and power systems.
VI – Establishing a robust transmission grid: the essential role of balkan TSOs in the green transition
- Jelena Matejić, CEO, Elektromreža Srbije (EMS)
- Ivan Asanović, CEO, Crnogorski Elektroprenosni Sistem (CGES)
- Aleksandar Paunovski, Deputy CEO, MEPSO
- Eleni Charpantidou, Investment and Platform Director, Terna Energy (Masdar)
- Goran Vukojević, Managing Director, GMS Consult
The panel, moderated by Aleksandar Mijušković, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Montenegro’s TSO CGES, will convene directors of transmission system operators (TSOs) from the region to share experiences and discuss contemporary challenges in the development and management of transmission networks.
The transmission systems in the Balkans, as well as in other parts of the world, are crucial for understanding future development of power systems.
Panelist Goran Vukojević noted that with more than 20 years of experience on large-scale solar, transmission networks, and complex infrastructure projects across multiple continents, he has seen how early technical decisions shape long-term performance, financing outcomes, and operational reliability.
Vukojević: I look forward to sharing real-world lessons shaping the global energy transition
This experience has been further strengthened through GMS-consult’s recent involvement in the PV3 project, a 1.5 GW utility-scale solar development in the Middle East, where engineering coordination, grid integration, and design optimization were critical to success, in his view.
“Strong engineering skills and a disciplined, practical approach are essential at this scale, together with a clear focus on client needs, bankability, and long-term operational goals. I look forward to sharing real-world lessons shaping the global energy transition,” he underscored.
GMS Consult, BEF Bronze sponsor, is a specialized energy consulting company supporting renewable energy, energy storage, and energy infrastructure projects across Europe and the Middle East.
The company works closely with developers, investors, lenders, and contractors, providing practical technical and engineering support at all stages of project development.
VII – From intermittency to reliability: BESS integration in SEE
- Dimitar Dimitrov, Business Development Manager, Renewable Energy Insurance Broker
- Sreten Ćalasan, Sales Specialist, Hitachi Energy
- Dejan Paravan, Co-CEO, NGEN
- Nikola Oklobdžija, CEO – Eastern Europe, Fortis Energy
The panel will be moderated by Forvis Mazars partner Philippe Bozier. The company provides professional services on a global scale in revision, transactional and tax advisory and consultations. Forvis Mazars is a Knowledge partner.
While renewable energies have seen a dramatic drop in price in less than 20 years, the real value today lies in the ability to provide flexibility to electrical systems. In this game, batteries are – for now – the big winners.
The panel will discuss in this panel the economic model for BESS projects, typical contractual structure, revenue mechanisms, lifespan, key risks and their impact on financing strategies.
Nikola Oklobdžija will reveal the latest details regarding the projects that Fortis Energy, a bronze sponsor, is developing across the Balkans, the Netherlands, and Turkey. Two months ago Fortis signed a mandate letter with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the potential financing of a 270 MW solar power project, which would be combined with a 72 MWh battery energy storage system in Serbia.
Fortis’s total completed project portfolio exceeds 650 MW
Fortis currently manages a renewable project pipeline exceeding 3.5 GW and operates more than 252 MW of renewable assets. Fortis’s total completed project portfolio exceeds 650 MW, encompassing over 400 MW of EPC installation.
By integrating solar, wind, and energy storage systems, Fortis focuses on a green baseload strategy to support sustainable energy security across Central and Eastern Europe.
VIII – Building a balanced power system: flexibility, digitalization, AI and market design
- Norela Constaninescu, Deputy Director, IRENA Innovation Technology Center
- Magdolna Tokai, Deputy CEO for International Relations and Corporate Services, Alteo
- Igor Anđelković, Region Segment Manager & Country Lead Serbia, Hitachi Energy
- Tzeni Varfi, Head of Policy, smartEn Smart Energy Europe
As SEE accelerates its energy transition, the challenge is no longer only adding renewable capacity, but ensuring the power system remains stable, efficient and economically viable.
The panel, moderated by Elena Boskov Kovacs, Managing Director and Co-founder of Blueprint Energy Solutions, will explore how flexibility, digitalisation and advanced market design are becoming critical enablers of a balanced and resilient energy system.
Bringing together leading voices from industry, policy and international organisations, the discussion will examine how Southeast Europe can move from structural imbalances toward a more coordinated, market-driven and digitally enabled power system.
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