Is Hungary and Slovakia’s district heating future in hot water?
September 2, 2022
This briefing, based on CEE Bankwatch Network’s fact-finding missions to Galanta and Veľký Meder, Slovakia and Szeged, Veresegyház, Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary in January and May 2022, presents examples of existing geothermal district heating systems in central and eastern Europe. It also makes recommendations to policy makers and financial institutions interested in implementing such systems in other parts of the region.
Kovačević: Zamjena uglja šumskom biomasom za grijanje je opasna zelena iluzija
July 22, 2022
Kako je energetska tranzicija uveliko u toku, a kraj ere uglja jasno na vidiku, grijanje na biomasu postepeno postaje favorit za vlade na …
Replacing coal with forest biomass for heating is a dangerous green mirage
July 21, 2022
With the energy transition well underway, and the end of the era of coal clearly on the horizon, biomass for heating is gradually becoming a favorite for governments in the Western Balkans and their financial partners. ‘Tree power’ might sound like the greenest kind of energy, but burning timber from forests to heat homes is anything but sustainable.
Boje jutra: Koliko će nas koštati grijanje ove zime?
June 29, 2022
Šta je sa strujom? Da li je ovo realna cijena koju trenutno plaćamo i može li biti skuplja? Šta može biti dobra alternativa trenutnim …
District heating case studies
May 17, 2022
Three case studies on district heating in Dronninglund, Denmark; Marstal, Denmark; and Vienna, Austria provide innovative solutions to successfully decarbonise district heating. These can inspire similar action in other locations across central and eastern Europe.
Sustainable heating is already reality in the EU. Now it’s the Western Balkans’ turn
May 16, 2022
In the Western Balkans, heating based on fossil fuels is making air pollution worse and is also the source of half of greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable and affordable heating systems based on renewables are no fantasy. They operate successfully in other parts of Europe, and can be implemented in the Western Balkans if decision makers start acting now.
How can the EIB and the EU financial mechanisms support the decarbonisation of district heating?: Exemplary cases in central and eastern Europe
April 27, 2022
The heating and cooling sector accounts for half of the EU’s energy consumption, and both district heating and individual heating are still dominated by fossil fuels and inefficiently burned biomass. According to Eurostat data, only 22 per cent of heating and cooling is generated from renewable energy. Decarbonisation of this sector, through increasing its efficiency and use of renewable energy sources, is key to the success of the EU’s climate neutrality strategy.
North Macedonia’s Go-Slow on Greener Energy is Costing Lives
April 6, 2022
The REK Bitola mining and energy complex in North Macedonia is one of Europe’s most lethal polluters – but, despite local protests, and clear evidence of its harm, the authorities have yet to act.
Air pollution and associated health impacts in Novaci, North Macedonia
April 6, 2022
For the last forty years, the municipality of Novaci has been home to North Macedonia’s REK Bitola complex, which consists of a 675 MW lignite power plant, open-cast mines and ash disposal sites. Its inhabitants have been breathing pollution emitted at
Efficient district heating in CEE-countries
March 28, 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revealed Europe’s dependency on fossil fuels. The European Commission recently presented a Communication called Repower EU with the aim to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with fossil gas. Energy efficiency measures that bring energy savings, like switching from inefficient to more efficient district heating networks that are based on exclusively renewable energy, are part of the solution and can structurally help solve EU dependency from energy imports.
