New Biofuelwatch briefing exposes Tuzla power plant’s planned biomass unit as a dead end
December 21, 2023
A new briefing by Biofuelwatch, launched today, has revealed that the planned use of biomass energy crops in a new unit at the Tuzla coal power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina is an unfeasible and environmentally risky endeavour.
To keep homes warm in the Western Balkans, look beneath the surface
October 26, 2023
Geothermal energy as a sustainable source for district heating is gathering steam around the world. Many municipalities in the Western Balkans urgently need to break free from dirty and expensive fossil fuel-based heating. One little-known way of doing so is to tap the region’s geothermal potential lying right below their feet.
Skopje’s five-year subsidy saga has left residents with uninsulated homes
October 20, 2023
Back in 2018, following a public call by the Centar municipality in Skopje, 26 buildings were approved to receive energy-efficient façades. Yet only one building has been retrofitted in five years, leaving the residents in the other 25 buildings back at square one, disheartened by the whole process and forced to look for other alternatives to insulate their old buildings.
Scaling up investments in the decarbonisation of district heating in Western Balkan communities
October 16, 2023
This report describes both the constraints facing primarily small and medium-sized communities in the region that wish to upgrade their district heating networks as well as the financial needs and potential in recalibrating financial streams to unlock a just and sustainable heating transition in the Western Balkans.
The Montenegrin mountain town pursuing sustainable district heating
October 5, 2023
As cities and towns across central and eastern Europe work toward decarbonising their heating systems, the need to deploy renewable energy alternatives in the sector has never been greater. The small town of Žabljak, nestled in the mountainous region of northern Montenegro, is at the forefront of this effort.
Romania’s fossil fuel-driven district heating plans are holding back a sustainable energy transition
August 23, 2023
A measure intended to replace Romania’s coal-fired plants with highly efficient combined heat and power (CHP) for use in district heating systems is slated for funding under Romania’s national recovery and resilience plan.
How renewable energy could reinvigorate Romania’s slumbering district heating sector
March 3, 2023
The lack of modernisation and rehabilitation of Romania’s district heating systems is felt most strongly by the inhabitants, but it also affects local budgets and has a negative impact on the environment.
Solar-powered district heating is the breath of fresh air Pljevlja residents deserve
January 25, 2023
Speeding up investments in a sustainable district heating system powered by solar energy would not only help cut greenhouse gas emissions and heating bills; it would actually save lives.
Analysis of alternatives to coal-based district heating for the Bitola region in North Macedonia
December 21, 2022
The study examines the current heating situation in the Bitola region (covering the municipalities of Bitola, Mogila and Novaci), followed by an analysis of the techno-economic potential for using decentralised heating solutions that are also in line with the country’s environmental protection commitments.
Let the sunshine in: how a coal region in North Macedonia can switch to sustainable heating
December 21, 2022
The government in North Macedonia wants to link the 40 year old REK Bitola power plant to the regional heating system. But cementing the dependence on fossil fuels would be reckless. Instead, a new study finds that fitting houses in Bitola with air conditioning and solar panels could keep people warm, cut air pollution and even shield against increasingly volatile energy prices. Such households forming energy communities, the study shows, could not only lower initial investments but even generate them some income.
