Romania’s energy crisis exposes faltering gas strategy as battery storage surges
September 30, 2026
Romania’s energy crisis has laid bare the risks of relying on delayed gas projects to replace coal power. Meanwhile, battery storage has been developing much faster and is already providing much-needed flexibility. Even a state-owned coal company with designs on a gas power plant is now pursuing battery storage instead.
Romania prepares to launch 1.1 GW gas-fired turbines next month
September 29, 2026
Romania’s Mintia gas-fired power plant is set to launch with an initial capacity of about 1.1 GW next month, increasing to 1.7 GW early next year, the country’s energy ministry told Montel on Monday. CEE Bankwatch Network last week criticised Romania’s focus on new gas capacity, arguing that battery storage was developing faster and could provide flexibility to the power system.
Romania’s gas strategy falters as battery capacity surges – NGO
September 29, 2026
Romania’s battery storage capacity has expanded rapidly and is already providing grid flexibility, while the ongoing energy crisis has exposed the country’s failings in focusing on delayed gas projects, NGO CEE Bankwatch Network said on Friday.
Letter to the World Bank Board on the Serbia – Strategic Gas Infrastructure and Institutional Strengthening Project
September 22, 2026
In this joint letter we urge the World Bank Board to defer approval of the Serbia – Strategic Gas Infrastructure and Institutional Strengthening Project.
Up to a third of EU decarbonisation fund spent on natural gas, report finds
August 4, 2026
A big chunk of the EU’s flagship industrial decarbonisation fund was spent on fossil fuels and other climate-unfriendly programmes, according to a report published on Wednesday. In the late 2010s, Brussels created the Modernisation Fund to soften the blow of the carbon price paid by European factory and power plant operators under the ‘Emissions Trading System’ (ETS), which is currently over €80 a tonne of CO2.
Glass half full? Mid-term analysis of the Modernisation Fund’s operations
July 29, 2026
This publication updates Bankwatch’s 2025 assessment of the EU’s Modernisation Fund and comes at a critical moment for EU climate and energy policy.
Serbia’s district heating utilities approaching breaking point due to gas import dependence
July 14, 2026
The current situation among district heating companies in Serbia provides a timely warning for Western Balkan governments still betting on new fossil gas infrastructure. In recent years, these governments have shown renewed interest in building new gas infrastructure. Many projects have been on the table for years, but new schemes are also being actively promoted by the United States.
Hydrogen buses in Poland: Where did it all go wrong?
May 18, 2026
The main aim of this report is to highlight the major issues faced by Polish local authorities and public transport operators that have adopted hydrogen-powered buses as part of their decarbonisation efforts
Ahead of Dubrovnik 3SI Summit, 47 civil society organisations warn against Western Balkan gas addiction
April 27, 2026
47 civil society organisations have today called on Western Balkan governments to resist pressure from the United States and cancel plans to build new gas pipelines and power plants.
Joint civil society statement: As the latest fossil fuel crisis starts to bite, Western Balkan governments must avoid further gas addiction and leapfrog to a renewable future!
April 27, 2026
For the second time this decade, Europe is in an oil and gas crisis, once again highlighting the danger of dependence on imported fossil fuels. The diversification strategy promoted by the EU for decades has shown its limits, and the inherent vulnerabi
