Turkey preparing to join global leaders in energy storage

The Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) has announced a Draft Regulation on Electricity Storage Activities, based on the Electricity Market Law. Attorneys-at-law of CMS in Turkey explain the implications and the planned regulation’s contribution to advancing the country’s sustainable energy strategy. Scope of the Draft Regulation The Draft Regulation will set out the principles and […]

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. […]

Dimitrovgrad municipality proposes ban on SHPPs on its territory

The Municipal Council of Dimitrovgrad in eastern Serbia has adopted a decision to propose the expulsion of all potential locations for the construction of small hydropower plants (SHPPs) from the local spatial plan, Južne vesti reported. The 1987 cadastre for SHPPs envisages the construction of 12 facilities in the Dimitrovgrad municipality and although none have […]

Republika Srpska terminates 7 concessions for small hydropower plants

The Government of Republika Srpska (RS) has canceled 7 concession agreements for the construction of small hydropower plants (SHPPs), including many on the Vrbanja River, Capital.ba reported. This is the second recent case in the wider region for concession contracts for hydropower projects to be terminated, after Albania’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy decided after a […]

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 […]