In March 2018, ASOR joined the implementation of the project "Dialogue on Energy Transition of the Western Balkans" (WeBET dialogue) in cooperation with Agora Energievende, supported by the Austrian Ministry of Sustainable Energy and Tourism and the European Climate Foundation.
The project relied on development reports for the electricity sector until 2050, with a focus on Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Romania, as part of the SEERMAP project (Electricity Roadmaps for South East Europe). The purpose of the project, which ends in March 2019, is twofold: (i) to continue communicating policy messages stemming from the SEERMAP project and (ii) to assist countries in planning renewable energy policies, with a special focus on addressing current barriers to RES implementation, including barriers associated with project financing costs. The project participants are local partners from the civil sector from Macedonia, Kosovo, BiH, Serbia and Montenegro, gathered in a regional think tank dedicated to action in the field of energy transition.
The focus of ASOR's work was on analysis at the state level - namely administrative and network barriers, where we identified key topics and methodology for further analytical work and areas where intervention would be needed to "unblock" or improve the level of RES application:
Identifying bottlenecks in administrative procedures and regulating permits
Analysis of technical conditions for connection of RES to distribution and "Dialogue on energy transition in the Western Balkans" (VeBET dialogue) transmission network (small and large)
Strategic planning of RES structure, with the aim of increasing the total installed capacity from RES and the effects on the electricity system
Analysis of the effects of improving flexibility in the system and coordination of transmission and distribution systems on the increase of RES in the production mix
WeBET workshop
How to increase the share of RES in the energy mix of Serbia: challenges and recommendations
As part of the VeBET project, ASOR held a national workshop ensuring the participation of high-level decision makers. An analysis of RES barriers and brief policy reports were presented at the workshop, with the aim of facilitating exchange and gathering input from stakeholders in a way that will help create a policy document.
Milos Banjac, Assistant Minister of Energy in charge of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, said in his introductory address that Serbia will hold the first auctions for the construction of wind farms and solar power plants in 2019. The Ministry of Mining and Energy is working on regulations on auctions, which should be prepared by the middle of 2019, and according to Banjc, it is not yet known how often the auctions will be held and which quotas will be set.
At the first panel - Framing better - Strategic, regulatory and social aspects of RES sector development, Professor Mirza Kusljugic from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Tuzla, a project participant from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), cited policy as the main risk for renewable energy development in the region. Sonja Risteska from Agora Energievende on the second panel - Administrative / technical / market aspects of RES project development spoke about strategic, regulatory and social aspects of renewables development and renewables development perspectives in Southeast Europe (SEE), where the think-tank implements dialogue on energy transition in Southeast Europe (SE3T NET), including think tanks from Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia.
Summary of the study "Risk-free study, case study for Serbia and Greece", New Climate Institute, Agora Energievende, ASOR, 2019. Here you can find.
