The world is in shift to shared, electric, and automated transportation

Timothy Papandreou, a global expert and thought leader in the future of mobility and automation, works with governments and business on the shared, electric, and automated transportation transition. After he took part in Transition Monaco Forum in June, Papandreou, the founder of Emerging Transport Advisors and former strategic partnerships manager at Google X and Waymo, he gave an […]

Montenegro leading energy transition in region

In May 2019, Montenegro joined the not-so-large group of countries that managed to cover the entire electricity demand over a certain period of time from domestic renewable energy sources. “This proves that energy transition is possible, that it is possible to stop using fossil fuels for electricity production,” says Montenegro’s Economy Minister in charge of […]

Speaking to IFIs may be only way for environmental activists to convey message to right address

Ana Colovic Lesoska, executive director at the Center for environmental research and information Eko-svest from Skopje, is one of six winners of the 2019 Goldman Environmental Prize, a first for the prestigious award to go to North Macedonia. This recognition followed Colovic Lesoska’s successful campaign to halt international lending for two hydropower plants, thereby protecting […]

EPCG’s new investment cycle focuses on portfolio diversification, hydropower projects

A Belgrade consortium comprising engineering firm Energoprojekt Hidroinženjering and water management institute Jaroslav Černi has been selected to produce a conceptual design for hydropower plant (HPP) Komarnica, and has already prepared an environmentally acceptable technical solution, which paves the way for the construction of the power plant following decades of research, Igor Noveljić, CEO of […]

There is no life without water, and small hydropower plants would extinguish it on Stara Planina

Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta has been fighting against the construction of run-of-river small hydropower plants (SHPPs) on Mt. Stara Planina (the Balkan mountain range) since 2016. Growing up, Jovanović witnessed much better hydrological days of the rivers and streams of Stara Planina, which have since been hurt by climate change and investors’ plans to build SHPPs. […]

Investors alone have benefits from small hydropower plants – citizens, state and municipalities have none

The authorities did not consider the possible environmental impact when they lightly issued construction permits for small hydropower plants (SHPPs) and approved incentives for privileged electricity producers. And then the adept investors saw the opportunity to make profits – they lobbied to adjust regulations and, coupled with poor inspection work on the ground, the situation […]